LTU gives update on West A Street construction, says rain slows work down

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Department gave an update Thursday on a $20 million street project.

The city is working on 2½-mile stretch of West A Street between Southwest 5th Street and the west city limit.

Part of the road is closed to through traffic, and crews have been having trouble with recent rainy weather.

“As much as we want to get that segment of traffic open, we don’t want to compromise the future integrity of that pavement,” said Kris Humphrey, the project delivery manager for LTU.

The project, which began in 2023, could last nearly two years.

The city is repaving the road, putting in roundabouts, improving streetlights, and working on wastewater and sewer pipes.

Those working on the project held a virtual public meeting Thursday to give residents an update.

The main problem crews are facing is the rain, which is saturating the soil where they need to start paving.

“It’s really hard to tell when we can get this paved,” Humphrey said. “We want to make sure that soil is dry, we don’t want any moisture in the soil.”

But Erika Hill, a spokeswoman for LTU, reassured everyone that the inconvenience now will be worth it in the long run.

“We do have to remember this really is a historic project,” she said. “It is one of the biggest projects the city has ever done. We do have some challenges that have come up through the Project B, and we’re able to make sure that we find those challenges, we correct them, and we do this project 100% right.”