“My concerns is the bad shapes of the roads right now”: LTU holds open house on 27th and South Street project

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A construction project that will take up some main roads in Lincoln was open for conversation Thursday night.

Lincoln Transportation and Utilities held an open house regarding the project for 27th and South Street.

It’s not an expansion, but instead it’s focused on maintenance. City officials say they want to repair old, and outdated water mains, while also improving safety, adding pedestrian cross walks, and creating a smoother surface on the roads for drivers.

“We really want to make sure the community knows they will always have access to the businesses they’re traveling to or to their homes,” said Liz Elliott, the director of LTU. “But, the purpose of this project is for safety, whether its getting lead service lines out of the neighborhood, or making sure there is more access for pedestrians and children that come here to Irving school.”

The pedestrian crossing preliminary plan would be a raised median, with a curb, plus, an island in the middle of the street. It also includes a rectangular rapid flashing beacon. According to Federal Highway Administration, research shows RRFB’s can reduce pedestrian crashes by 47%.

It was a packed crowd at Irving middle school, with dozens wanting to learn more. While some expressed major concerns, others say this work is needed.

The plan is to close parts of 27th Street in 3 separate steps.

“I’m happy that they’re doing it because the street is in such disrepair,” said Scott Sughroue. “My biggest concern was that they were gonna shut the whole thing off from 27th to park way. But, now I know it’s happening in three phases. I feel more calm about it.

“The concerns is the bad shapes of the road,” said David Wiebe. “It will be great to get the resurfacing going.”

The project is expected to cost about 5.4 million dollars, with construction getting underway in spring of 2026. It’s estimated to be complete by the summer of 2027.