PhotoFiles: Interstate 80 dedication in 1961
As the Lincoln area prepares for the opening of the South Beltway on Wednesday, check out photos from the opening of the interstate between Omaha and Lincoln.
Interstate 80 opening
Jane Munn of Waverly waves enthusiastically to Gov. Frank Morrison's motorcade as it moves toward ribbon-cutting ceremonies marking the opening of Interstate 80 between Omaha and Lincoln. August 11, 1961.
Interstate 80, Gretna
In this file photo, men work on the new Interstate 80 interstate overpass for Nebraska 63 near Gretna on July 23, 1958. A future I-80 interchange at 192nd Street in Sarpy County has Gretna and Papillion struggling to come up with an agreement to share land.
Interstate 80, Lincoln
Twelve miles of Interstate 80 under construction near Lincoln. "Dirt now, but paved soon  that's the status of Nebraska's interstate highway. This segment is located a few miles outside the city." August 1959.
Interstate 80 dedication
August 12, 1961, marked the dedication of the 52 mile stretch of interstate highway linking Nebraska's two largest cities, Lincoln and Omaha. As some 300 persons cheered at the Greenwood interchange, Gov. Frank Morrison snipped a red ribbon crossing the double highway at 3:35 that Friday afternoon. The ribbon was stretched across both east and west bound lanes, with the dignitaries seated on the flatbed truck drawn up in the median.
Interstate 80 dedication
August 12, 1961, marked the dedication of the 52 mile stretch of interstate highway linking Nebraska's two largest cities, Lincoln and Omaha. As some 300 persons cheered at the Greenwood interchange, Gov. Frank Morrison snipped a red ribbon crossing the double highway at 3:35 that Friday afternoon. The ribbon was stretched across both east and west bound lanes, with the dignitaries seated on the flatbed truck drawn up in the median.
How well do you know Lincoln streets?
How well do you know Lincoln streets?
The estimated $130 million project is expected to begin in 2024 and end in 2027.
With the South Beltway set to open next year, some developers worry the city isn’t thinking aggressively enough about spurring growth in an area still largely unserved by sewer and other infrastructure.
On Friday, drivers headed to and from areas of southeast Lincoln will access the Nebraska 2 expressway using the new South Beltway interchange near 120th Street.
State and local officials celebrated the official opening of the Alliance south section of the Heartland Expressway during a ceremony this month.
These days, motorists roll by on I-80 without paying attention to the vacant building at Exit 199. That wasn’t the case in the 1960s and 1970s, when the interstate was young.
Gov. Elect Jim Pillen on Monday announced that longtime employee Moe Jamshidi will serve as interim director starting Thursday. Current Director John Selmer is retiring.
Nebraska's top highway needs over the next 20 years are expected to cost 15% more than what state officials anticipated last year, a new report says.
Nebraska officials are launching one of the state's biggest years ever of highway construction and maintenance projects.Â
The $21 million I-80 Odessa-to-Kearney project was selected under a special grant program.
The Nebraska Department of Transportation plans to work start April 1 on the project, which will add a lane to each direction of I-80 from Northwest 56th Street to Pleasant Dale.
A report from the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center at the University of Missouri predicts the state's farmers will bring in $6 billion in profit this year.
Nebraska's I-80 expansion project will extend farther west of Lincoln in 2026, when the state plans to expand a 9.6-mile stretch of I-80 from Seward to Pleasant Dale.
