City of Lincoln about to begin $2.6 million project on Leighton Avenue

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The city will improve about 1.5 miles of Leighton Avenue from 48th to 70th streets over the next several months.

The project will include repair of concrete pavement, replacement of asphalt pavement and curb replacement.

“It’s an arterial road,” said city construction engineer Russell Gasper. “It has significant volumes of traffic, and it is in need of repairs.”

Crews will complete this almost $2.6 million project in three phases.

The first begins Monday. Leighton will be closed between 56th and 63rd streets.

“We’re going to start in Phase B from 56th to 63rd, mainly to avoid congestion with schoolchildren using the area,” Gasper said.

Crews will also install a rectangular rapid flashing beacon, or RRFB, on 60th Street.

An RRFB is a traffic control device that uses flashing yellow lights at a crosswalk to warn motorists of pedestrians.

On Thursday, the city held an open house to gather feedback and answer questions from residents and business owners in the area.

About 50 people attended, and Gasper said the reception to the project has been good.

“They’re excited because of the smoother riding surface that they’re going to end up having,” he said.

Megan Ourada, who lives in the area, agrees that the repairs were needed.

“There are areas that have a lot of, I guess, I call it street creep, where the asphalt has moved quite a bit,” she said. “Then as you get closer to 48th Street, there’s a lot of — when it rains — water that’s pooled everywhere.”

But Ourada is concerned that the project could include the removal of some trees in the area.

“My biggest hope is that they don’t do any damage to the trees in the canopy, especially in front of Whitehall Mansion,” she said.

The city says there are no plans to remove trees unless absolutely necessary.