Nebraska DOT Improves U.S.-136 in Webster County

Wed July 08, 2020 - Midwest Edition #14
Lori Tobias – CEG Correspondent

The scope of the project includes milling and resurfacing the existing roadway with asphalt.

Work is under way on an $11 million project in Webster County, Neb., to resurface 11 mi. of U.S.-136. The contract was awarded to Werner Construction Inc. of Hastings, Neb.

Culvert extensions and replacements are part of NDOT’s improvement package.

The project starts at the Franklin/Webster county line at mile marker 64.29 and extends to east to mile marker 75.26 just east of the western limits of Red Cloud.

Elements of the project include grading to flatten backslopes to alleviate snow drifting.

The project will preserve the highway, improve the reliability of the transportation system and maintain mobility for travelers.

Bridge construction and some culvert repair is expected to be completed in fall 2020 with the remaining work schedule to be completed in 2021.

Work is under way on an $11 million project in Webster County, Neb., to resurface 11 mi. of U.S.-136. The contract was awarded to Werner Construction Inc. of Hastings, Neb.

"The road is in terrible shape. The bridges are just old and we need to update and widen them," said Kevin Kohmetscher, spokesman of the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT). Recent inspections show that distresses present on both the pavement and bridges structures of U.S.-136.

The project starts at the Franklin/Webster county line at mile marker 64.29 and extends to east to mile marker 75.26 just east of the western limits of Red Cloud. It's intended to preserve the highway, improve the reliability of the transportation system and maintain mobility for travelers. The highway sees 545 vehicles per day with 12 percent of those heavy trucks.

The scope of the project includes milling and resurfacing the existing roadway with asphalt. Additional improvements include the removal and replacement of three small bridges spanning waterways with grading and full depth asphalt paving to provide a profile grade raise; culvert extensions and replacements; removing and replacing guardrail; and grading to flatten backslopes to alleviate snow drifting. Reconstruction of existing curb ramps is planned for the unincorporated village of Inavale and within corporate limits of Red Cloud.

"The bridges will be narrowed to 10 feet and then we'll have to detour traffic to build a box," Kohmetscher said. "So, we can keep the road open, we'll build in phases instead of tearing it out. We'll scoot traffic over and tear half of it down and put up a stop light and it's just one ten-foot lane."

A majority of the project will be completed with lane closures controlled with temporary traffic control. However, a portion of the project will require temporarily detouring U.S.-136 traffic from June through August.

Bridge construction and some culvert repair is expected to be completed in fall 2020 with the remaining work schedule to be completed in 2021.

Equipment on site includes: cranes, backhoes, dozers and pavers.

"There's all kinds of equipment out there," Kohmetcher said.

The project is adjacent to the Narrows Wildlife Management Area. NDOT anticipates the current design will cause an impact to wetlands and plans for mitigation. The project is also close to historical resources. The impacts to those resources are being evaluated. CEG

Lori Tobias

Lori Tobias is a journalist of more years than she cares to count, most recently as a staff writer for The Oregonian and previously as a columnist and features writer for the Rocky Mountain News. She is the author of the memoir, Storm Beat - A Journalist Reports from the Oregon Coast, and the novel Wander, winner of the Nancy Pearl Literary Award in 2017. She has freelanced for numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Denver Post, Alaska Airlines in-flight, Natural Home, Spotlight Germany, Vegetarian Times and the Miami Herald. She is an avid reader, enjoys kayaking, traveling and exploring the Oregon Coast where she lives with her husband Chan and rescue pups, Gus and Lily.

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