Gov. Jim Pillen and cabinet highlight transportation achievements at inaugural roundtable

Lincoln, Neb. — Governor Jim Pillen and members of his cabinet held a roundtable briefing April 20, 2026, to showcase accomplishments from the 109th legislative session and previous agency successes. The meeting focused on progress made under Pillen’s key initiatives, particularly in transportation.

Vicki Kramer, director of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, emphasized the agency’s goals of working smarter, faster, and safer. She highlighted securing hundreds of millions in federal funding, accelerating major projects, and enhancing safety as key results of this approach.

Nebraska recently became the ninth state authorized to conduct its own environmental reviews through Full National Environmental Policy Act Assignment. This streamlines project delivery and is expected to expand to include improvements on Interstate 80 through the Interstate Access Justification Reports process.

Last week, the department received $15.6 million to replace and repair aging bridges in Lincoln. Since 2023, Nebraska has secured over $453 million in federal discretionary grants, with annual awards increasing from $62 million in 2023 to $158 million in 2024 and $139 million in 2025. The creation of the Infrastructure Development Investment Program, signed into law by Pillen, aims to continue this momentum by partnering with local communities to optimize federal funding.

In January 2026, Pillen and the department formalized efforts to complete the U.S. Highway 275 corridor by 2028, accelerating the timeline by more than five years through innovative financing and the Nebraska Highway Bond Act. Several major projects, including overhauls of 54 miles on I-80 and completion of 47 miles on U.S. 30, are underway or finished, with ongoing modernization efforts in Omaha to support the city’s growth.

On safety, the department operates 50 Automated Flagger Devices to control work zone traffic remotely. The Traffic Incident Management program expanded training for first responders, certifying 52 new trainers and training nearly 1,000 responders in 2025. In 2026, over 500 responders have already completed training toward the annual goal of 1,000.

These initiatives reflect Nebraska’s commitment to building a more efficient and safer transportation system under Gov. Pillen’s leadership.