Following on the heels of recent completion of the long-sought South Beltway around Lincoln, a legislative proposal to provide a $25 million state appropriation to begin planning for construction of an accompanying East Beltway attracted support Tuesday from city and Lancaster County officials along with business interests.
The bill (LB721), introduced by Sen. Beau Ballard of Lincoln, which would appropriate funding to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, sparked no opposition testimony at a hearing before the Legislature's Transportation and Telecommunications Committee.
The project would complete the east leg of a circumferential four-lane freeway system around Lincoln now composed of Interstate 80 to the north, U.S. 77 (Homestead Expressway) to the west and the recently completed South Beltway (Nebraska 2).
The South Beltway opened in December.
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The East Beltway would extend an estimated 13 miles, Liz Elliott, Lincoln's director of Transportation and Utilities, told the committee.
Ballard's bill would fund initial planning, including an environmental impact study. And it will be subjected to a review to assure its constitutionality, he told the committee.
Christa Yoakum, chair of the Lancaster County Board, said the project would spur residential and commercial development and represents "the final piece" of the long-sought beltway development.
"It's a mature project ready for funding," she said.
Bruce Bohrer, executive vice president of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, and Katie Bohlmeyer, policy and research director for the Lincoln Independent Business Association, endorsed the proposal.
The project represents "jobs, growth, tourism, economic prosperity and safety," Bohlmeyer said.
Six Lincoln senators co-signed the bill.