Nebraska DOT and Community Celebrate Highway 281 Opening

LINCOLN, Neb. — On Monday, the Nebraska Department of Transportation joined Governor Ricketts and other state and local officials in celebrating, with the local community, the opening of Highway 281 over the Niobrara River south of Spencer.

The highway has been closed since March 13th due to flooding that caused significant damage and washed out a segment of the highway just south of the bridge.

“The importance of getting the Highway 281 bridge opened back up and reconnecting the communities and people who have felt the effects of its closure can’t be overstated,” said Governor Ricketts.

“When bridges and highways are closed, it impacts people’s daily lives and routines tremendously – from getting to work, the store, or a doctor’s appointment or simply just driving up the road to visit family and friends – that’s why it was so important to get this bridge in place and get traffic moving again. I want to thank the community, NDOT, and all our private sector partners for their efforts and dedication on getting the temporary bridge constructed in an expedited time-period.”

The NDOT partnered with contractors and subcontractors to open the temporary bridge and restore mobility within months of the historic 2019 flooding.

The temporary bridge will be open to one-lane traffic controlled by a traffic signal, with a 12-foot-wide width restriction. Motorists with legal loads are permitted to cross the bridge, but no overweight or over

dimensional vehicles will be allowed.

The traffic restriction will be in place until the permanent bridge is completed, currently scheduled for November 2020.