KEARNEY, Neb. — Kearney City Council will discuss millions of dollars in street improvements, some of which could pave the way for a new I-80 exit.
Part of the agenda for the city council is discussing one-year and six-year street improvement plans, which detail short and long-term projects.
“It usually generates a lot of discussion because streets are something that impacts people every day, getting to work going out to eat, getting to school,” said Kearney city council member Jonathan Nikkila.
Some of the biggest projects include millions going into repairs and maintenance for the aqueduct on 30th Avenue, as well as a new roundabout near the university. Additionally while not on the agenda, some are beginning to discuss the possibility of a new exit on I-80.
“It takes many years,” said Nikkila. “If you don’t start talking about it, it just never happens.”
It can take years and even decades for a new highway exit to be built. Although hypothetical at this stage, some of the projects on the current agenda would complement future developments.
“Now certainly if there were to be a West interchange in the future, having these projects already completed would be a benefit,” said Kearney city engineer Luke Dutcher. “But…they’re projects that we’ve foreseen needing to be done regardless.”
While potential confirmations of a future third exit are distant, the city is making sure it covers its bases in both the short term and long term.
“15, 20 years from now people are going to go ‘What were those people thinking?’ You know, so we don’t want to be in that situation,” said Nikkila. “We want to keep an eye forward while not neglecting the things we need to address right now.”
The Kearney City Council meets on the second and 4th Tuesday of each month at 5:30 pm.