NDOT and officials celebrate Fremont Southeast Beltway opening

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - The Nebraska Department of Transportation, together with Governor Jim Pillen and other local leaders, gathered to celebrate the opening of the Fremont Southeast Beltway on Tuesday.

Through the collaborative efforts of NDOT, City of Fremont, Dodge County, Lincoln Premium Poultry and other community investments, work was completed ahead of schedule on the $62 million project.

“The Southeast Beltway is vital not only to Fremont, but to the entire region. It will increase the safety of our roads and support the freight needs of businesses like Lincoln Premium Poultry, Wholestone Farms and Fremont Beef,” said Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg. “We are pleased with the partnerships that accelerated progress in the area and to the commitment from the community to safety and to the future for our community and our families.”

The project was originally scheduled for the 2024 construction season, but due to the growing need to improve mobility and support truck traffic associated with economic growth of the region, the project timeline was accelerated to 2020 thanks to local financial support. Work began in July 2020 with anticipated opening in July of 2023.

“The Fremont Southeast Beltway is a perfect example of how Nebraskans work together to get big things accomplished. The city of Fremont and its partners came together with NDOT to accelerate this project because they understood collaboration was key,” said Governor Pillen. “This beltway is an investment for the future – for families who call Fremont, the county and the region, home. It will serve not only Fremont, but also Nebraska as a whole, as it connects farms to markets and improves the free flow of commerce along the U.S. 275 and U.S. 30 corridor.”

“This project came on the heels of the floods of 2019 and broke ground during the pandemic,” said NDOT Director Vicki Kramer. “Despite these challenges, the project not only stayed on schedule, but through coordination with Graham Construction, was completed early. This project is a great example of how partnership from the community can supplement the Build Nebraska Act and the Transportation Innovation Act to accomplish large capital improvement projects across the state.”

Officials said the Fremont Southeast Beltway improves traffic flow on U.S.-77 and provides regional connectivity. It is an expressway that includes four travel lanes, bridges over railroad tracks and local roads, and a new U.S.-77/U.S.-275 interchange. The project was completed with state funding provided through the Build Nebraska Act and the Transportation Innovation Act with contributions from the City of Fremont. The consultant for the project was Schemmer Associates, Inc. out of Omaha.

Graham Construction out of Omaha was awarded the construction contract in May of 2020.

“We are pleased to have played a part in bringing this project to fruition and look forward to the benefits it will bring to our community,” said Jessica Kolterman, Director of Administration for Lincoln Premium Poultry. “We also want to thank our neighboring businesses, Dodge County and the City of Fremont for a successful collaboration that will result in future growth and regional connectivity.”