33rd & Cornhusker Highway (Lincoln Transportation and Utilities)
The City of Lincoln has received a $66.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration to make improvements at two railroad crossings and intersections near 33rd Street and Cornhusker Highway.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird was joined by transportation and railroad safety officials today to announce the grant, which they say will improve safety, reduce traffic delays, and enhance connectivity for Lincoln residents.
“With this historic grant, the largest competitive grant we’ve received as a City, we will improve safety, reduce traffic delays, and enhance transportation connections for Lincoln drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. This significant award will cover over half of the total estimated cost of the project,” Mayor Gaylor Baird said.
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railway along Cornhusker Highway currently carries an estimated 48 trains daily on the double-track mainline railroad that crosses North 33rd Street and Adams Street. Traffic is blocked at each railroad crossing at least 3 1/2 hours per day, and over the last 37 years, there have been 20 crashes with six fatalities and three injuries.
The proposed 33rd Street and Cornhusker Highway Intersection Improvement Project would build a new bridge over the rail corridor along Cornhusker Highway to eliminate the railroad crossings at North 33rd Street and Adams Street. Elliott said the project is currently in the planning, environmental analysis and preliminary engineering phase, which is scheduled to end in 2027. Construction is expected to begin in 2028, with an opening date estimated for late 2031.
Goals for the railroad crossing and intersection project include improving safety by eliminating or reducing the conflict points between trains, vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The completed project will reduce delay for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists crossing the rail corridor. Accommodations will be made for existing and future traffic to reduce congestion along roadways crossing the rail corridor.
Visit the 33rd and Cornhusker Improvement Project for more information.