Fort Towson

Interstate 80 (I-80) in the US state of Nebraska runs east from the Wyoming state border across the state to Omaha. Construction of the stretch of I-80 spanning the state was completed on October 19, 1974. Nebraska was the first state in the nation to complete its mainline Interstate Highway System.^[3]

I-80 has over 80 exits in Nebraska;^[4] according to The New York Times there are several notable tourist attractions along Nebraska's section of I-80.^[5] It is the only Interstate Highway to travel from one end of Nebraska to another, as the state has no major north–south Interstate route. Except for a three-mile-long (4.8 km) portion of I-76 near the Colorado state line, I-80 is the only primary (two-digit) Interstate Highway in Nebraska.

History

Built along the pathway of the Great Platte River Road, I-80 in Nebraska follows the same route as many historic trails, including the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails.^[5] Starting in 1957 after federal funding was allotted, Nebraskans began planning their Interstate construction. Led by the Nebraska State Highway Commission, there were hearings across the state to decide where the route was going to be. Aside from the federally mandated "control points" in Omaha, Lincoln, and Grand Island, the route could vary across the state.^[6] Dozens of meetings were held in Grand Island, Kearney, and North Platte, among other locations. The commission addressed issues of whether the highway would be north or south of the Platte River or whether it would follow US Highway 30 (US-30). The South Platte Chamber of Commerce and various cities were very active in these sessions, and debate over where the Interstate would be constructed continued into the 1960s.^[1]

After the first contract for building the Interstate was awarded in 1957, a 6.5-mile (10.5 km) section near Gretna was the first section to be completed that year.^[7] The first long segment to be opened was a 52-mile (84 km) section between Dodge Street in Omaha and the West Lincoln interchange in Lincoln on August 11, 1961.^[8][9] During a "Golden Link" ceremony, the last section of I-80 in Nebraska was completed when a brass connector was inserted in the roadway near Sidney on October 20, 1974.^[3][10] This was designed to emulate the golden spike ceremonially used to complete the first transcontinental railroad in 1869.^[11]

The total length of the Nebraska section is 455.32 miles (732.77 km) long and was completed at a cost of $435 million (equivalent to $2.09 billion in 2023^[12]).^[3]

Legacy

The beginning of the I-80 construction in Nebraska in 1957 led the Nebraska Legislature to split the Department of Roads and Irrigation to create three separate agencies in the state, including the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Water Resources, and the Department of Roads, which was the first Nebraska agency solely responsible for highway planning, construction, and maintenance in Nebraska history.^[13]

Interstate construction led the state to focus on other highways in Nebraska, as well. Surfaced shoulders, new safety sections beyond shoulders, and other developments across the state were attributed to the influence of the Interstate.^[14] The 1965 state legislature also authorized a study of the needs of every public road in Nebraska, including state highways, county roads, and city streets.^[15]

Speed limits

The following are speed limits that have existed on I-80 in Nebraska since it was opened in 1957.^[16]

Route description

Designated sections

The entirety of the Interstate Highway System was named the "Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways" in 1990, and the first signage in Nebraska was posted in 1993.^[17] Several sections of I-80 in Nebraska have special designations. The I-80 intersection with US-34 has been designated a "Purple Heart Memorial Highway", and South 108th Street bridge over I-80 in Omaha has been designated the "Purple Heart Bridge", both in honor of all recipients of the Purple Heart.^[18] A section of I-80 in Nebraska is also designated as a Blue Star Memorial Highway.

Details

In Nebraska, I-80 has 82 interchanges, 442 bridges on or over the roadway, 25 rest areas spaced 35–50 miles (56–80 km) apart for convenience, and one scenic overlook. The I-80 right-of-ways in Nebraska feature 28 types of grasses and forbs, 31 types of shrubs, 12 varieties of coniferous trees, and 39 types of deciduous trees are planted on the median of I-80 in Nebraska. There are also 570 informational and directional signs along the way.^[19] Milemarkers with the Interstate shield are posted every 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from mile 103 to mile 312 and every 0.2 miles (0.32 km) from mile 312 easterly. Most of the route is straight plains, and a stretch between Lincoln and Grand Island is almost entirely straight with very few curves whatsoever.

Exit list

County	Location	mi[20]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Kimball	Bushnell Precinct	0.00	0.00		I-80 west – Cheyenne	Continuation into Wyoming
		0.48	0.77	1	L-53B north (State Line Road) to US 30 – Pine Bluffs
		8.46	13.62	8	L-53C – Bushnell
	Antelope Precinct	20.71	33.33	20	N-71 south – Kimball	Western end of N-71 overlap
		22.69	36.52	22	N-71 north – Gering, Scottsbluff	Eastern end of N-71 overlap
	Dix	29.76	47.89	29	L-53A – Dix
Cheyenne	Potter	38.96	62.70	38	L-17B – Potter
	Potter Precinct	48.82	78.57	48	L-17C
		51.31	82.58	Sidney Rest Area (eastbound); location of the Golden Link[21]
	Sidney	55.37	89.11	55	N-19 (West Entrance) – Sidney	N-19 north is former I-80 Bus. east
		59.92	96.43	59	L-17J to US 385 – Sidney, Bridgeport	Former I-80 Bus. west
	Sunol	69.63	112.06	69	L-17E – Sunol
	Lodgepole	76.61	123.29	76	L-17F – Lodgepole
Deuel	Chappell	85.22	137.15	85	L-25A to US 385 – Chappell
	Swan Precinct	95.02	152.92	95	N-27 – Julesburg, Oshkosh
	Big Springs Precinct	101.19	162.85	101	US 138 – Big Springs, Julesburg
		102.59	165.10	102	I-76 south – Denver	Former I-80S; I-76 exit 3
	Big Springs	107.36	172.78	107	L-25B – Big Springs
Keith	Brule	117.25	188.70	117	L-51A – Brule
	Ogallala	126.69	203.89	126	US 26 / N-61 – Ogallala, Grant	Eastern terminus of US 26
	Roscoe	133.97	215.60	133	L-51B – Roscoe
	Paxton	145.65	234.40	145	L-51C – Paxton
Lincoln	Sutherland	158.01	254.29	158	N-25 – Sutherland, Wallace
	Hershey	164.51	264.75	164	L-56C – Hershey
	North Platte	177.16	285.11	177	US 83 – North Platte, McCook
		179.19	288.38	179	L-56G to US 30 – North Platte
	Maxwell	190.42	306.45	190	S-56A – Maxwell
	Brady	198.97	320.21	199	L-56D – Brady
Dawson	Gothenburg	211.77	340.81	211	N-47 – Gothenburg
	Cozad	222.46	358.01	222	N-21 – Cozad
	Lexington Precinct	231.10	371.92	231	L-24A – Darr
	Lexington	237.19	381.72	237	US 283 – Arapahoe, Lexington, Elwood
	Overton	248.53	399.97	248	L-24B – Overton
Buffalo	Elm Creek	257.01	413.62	257	US 183 – Holdrege, Elm Creek
	Odessa	263.66	424.32	263	L-10B – Odessa
	Kearney	272.60	438.71	272	N-44 – Kearney
		275.59	443.52	275	N-10 north (East Entrance) – Kearney, Archway Monument	Western end of N-10 overlap
	Precinct 29	279.89	450.44	279	N-10 south – Minden	Eastern end of N-10 overlap
	Gibbon	285.63	459.68	285	L-10C – Gibbon
	Shelton	291.36	468.90	291	L-10D – Shelton, Kenesaw
Hall	Wood River	300.10	482.96	300	N-11 north / S-40D south – Wood River
	Alda Township	305.66	491.91	305	L-40C – Alda
	Grand Island	312.07	502.23	312	US 34 / US 281 (Tom Osborne Expressway) – Hastings, Grand Island
		314.11	505.51	314	Locust Street – Grand Island
Hamilton	Precinct 5–Precinct 2 line	318.14	512.00	318	N-2 – Phillips, Grand Island
	Giltner	324.14	521.65	324	S-41B – Giltner
	Aurora	332.15	534.54	332	N-14 – Aurora
	Hampton	338.12	544.15	338	L-41D – Hampton
York	Henderson	342.11	550.57	342	S-93A – Henderson
	Baker Precinct	348.09	560.20	348	L-93E – Bradshaw
	York	353.09	568.24	353	US 81 – Geneva, York
	Beaver Precinct	360.11	579.54	360	L-93B – Waco
Seward	Precinct L	366.13	589.23	366	L-80F – Utica
	Beaver Crossing	369.12	594.04	369	L-80E – Beaver Crossing
	Goehner	373.09	600.43	373	L-80G – Goehner
	Precinct J	379.08	610.07	379	N-15 – Seward, Fairbury
	Milford	382.08	614.90	382	L-80H – Milford
	Precinct I	388.11	624.60	388	N-103 – Crete
Lancaster	Lincoln	395.59	636.64	395	L-55K (NW 48th Street) to US 6 – Lincoln
		396.36	637.88	396	US 6 (O Street) – Lincoln	Closed; was eastbound exit and westbound left entrance only[22]
		397.27	639.34	397	US 77 south – Lincoln, Beatrice	Western end of US 77 overlap
		399.01	642.14	399	NW 12th Street / Cornhusker Highway / Adams Street – Lincoln Airport
		401.04	645.41	401	I-180 south / US 34 / 9th Street – Downtown	Eastbound exits signed as 401A (south/east) and 401B (west)
		403.48	649.34	403	27th Street
	North Bluff Precinct	405.75	652.99	405	US 77 north / L-55X south (56th Street) – Lincoln, Fremont, Wahoo	Eastern end of US 77 overlap; L-55X is former US 77 south
	Waverly	409.74	659.41	409	US 6 – East Lincoln, Waverly
Cass	Ashland	420.91	677.39	420	N-63 – Ashland, Greenwood
		426.06	685.68	426	N-66 – South Bend, Louisville, Ashland	Mahoney State Park
Platte River		427.26	687.61	Bridge
Sarpy	Gretna	432.94	696.75	432	N-31 to US 6 – Gretna, Schramm Park, Ashland
	Richland VIII Precinct	439.19	706.81	439	N-370 – Bellevue, Papillion, Gretna	Werner Park (stadium), Offutt Air Force Base
	Chalco	440.63	709.13	440	N-50 (144th Street) – Springfield, West Omaha
	La Vista	442.89	712.76	442	Giles Road / Harrison Street
Douglas	Omaha	444.56	715.45	445	Q Street	Westbound exit only; access from C/D lanes originating at West Center Rd. exit
		445.05	716.24		US 275 / N-92 (L Street)	Cloverleaf interchange accessible to and from C/D lanes
		445.34	716.71		I Street	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance accessible to and from C/D lanes
		445.97	717.72	446	I-680 north
		446.63	718.78	445	West Center Road	No eastbound exit; I-680 exit 1; C/D lanes provide access to I-L-Q St. exits
		448.29	721.45	448	84th Street
		449.30	723.08	449	72nd Street
		450.31	724.70	450	60th Street
		451.83	727.15	451	42nd Street
		452.85	728.79	452	I-480 / US 75 north (Gerald R. Ford Expressway) – Downtown, Eppley Airfield US 75 south (Kennedy Freeway) – Bellevue	Exits to southbound US 75 also include direct exit ramp onto F Street
		453.04	729.10	453	24th Street	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		454.14	730.87	454	13th Street – Gardens, Zoo	Former US 73 / US 75
Missouri River		455.31	732.75	Interstate 80 Bridge; Nebraska–Iowa state line
					I-80 east – Council Bluffs, Des Moines	Continuation into Iowa
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Closed/former       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

Auxiliary routes

I-80 has three auxiliary routes in Nebraska. One is a loop around the city of Omaha, one is a loop through the city of Omaha, and the other is a spur into Lincoln.

• I-180 is a spur into downtown Lincoln, cosigned with US-34 for its entire length.
• I-480 is a loop route in Omaha extending from I-29 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, west toward I-80. It serves as the inner of two loops in Omaha. It is cosigned with US-75 for approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) and with US-6 for less than one mile (1.6 km) as it crosses the Missouri River into Iowa.
• I-680 is a loop around the northwest of Omaha. It serves as the outer of the two Omaha loops. The section from I-80 in Omaha to I-29 in Crescent, Iowa, was originally designated as I-280, but, because it extended into Iowa and because it conflicted with I-280 in the Quad Cities area of Iowa, the route was renumbered I-680.

See also

• History of Nebraska
• Transportation in Omaha, Nebraska

Notes

References

Footnotes

Works cited

External links

• Nebraska Department of Roads
• 1963 photos of construction in Omaha.
• I-80 Nebraska Archived August 18, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. An official promotional website for nine counties in central and western Nebraska.

Interstate 80
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