Drivers, residents and businesses can expect disruptions to begin along Highway 15 yet this winter – kicking off what officials expect will be two years of roadblocks and detours.
The City of Seward has anticipated the state’s reconstruction of Highway 15 (Sixth Street) for nearly two years, with road work planned to begin in April.
However, the city will begin replacing the water mains underneath the highway in the next few weeks.
“This (water) project is going to get started ahead of (the reconstruction),” City Administrator Greg Butcher said. “This semi-painful project that’s about to start and take place for almost two years of disruption on 15, that’s starting very shortly now.”
The water main work will run from Ash Street to Lincoln Street.
City Engineer Mike Oneby said the water main work will be completed by April 1, in accordance with the $1.6 million contract the city council awarded to K2 Construction on Jan. 16.
The $10 million highway reconstruction will be completed in two phases, with the Nebraska Department of Transportation footing most of the bill.
The highway will be widened five feet on either side from Jackson Avenue to Hillcrest Drive for a center turn lane. The crumbling brick underneath will be removed and the roadway reconstructed.
The first phase will begin April 1 just south of Ash Street and run north to Highway 34. Phase 1 is expected to take four to six months, and crews will pause work for Seward’s Fourth of July celebration.
During that time, traffic will be routed around the city via Highway 34 and 294th Road to the west.
The second phase will run from Highway 34 north to Pinewood Avenue, north of Seward High School.
During that phase, one lane will remain open for southbound traffic, and Second Street will be used as the northbound route.
The entire project is scheduled to be completed by July 2025.
“It’s probably imperative that we get this pretty substantial water main taken care of before we rip that highway up and put down new concrete,” Butcher said.
