BENNINGTON, Neb. (KMTV) — Douglas County will add a traffic light and turn lanes at 156th and State Street in Bennington, but the project is delayed until 2027.
- The delay is due to a Metropolitan Utilities District water main in the area.
- Pushing the project back will give MUD time to relocate the utility before intersection work begins.
- The project will start after Memorial Day in 2027, with a scheduled partial opening in mid-August.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A busy Bennington intersection is getting an upgrade, just not as soon as neighbors had hoped.
Douglas County will install a traffic light and turn lanes in each direction at 156th and State Street. The project was originally scheduled to start in 2025, but Douglas County Engineer Todd Pfitzer said it has been pushed to 2027.
The delay is due to a Metropolitan Utilities District water main at the intersection that Pfitzer said is extremely important to the region. Pushing the project back will give MUD time to relocate the utility before intersection work begins.
Ashley Limbeck has lived in Bennington for three years and said she drives through the intersection at least four times a day.
"I mean, we definitely need something more than street signs out here, especially with how fast it's growing."
The intersection currently operates as a 4-way stop. Emma Wambsgans said traffic can back up, especially during morning and evening commutes.
"So I know they just fixed the one on 168th and State, and I would say them adding in a stoplight like that or another turning lane for the left turners. Literally, anything would improve it at this point."
Limbeck said the need is urgent.
"No, I wish it was now. The need is already, it's already late now."
Wambsgans said the community is accustomed to the disruptions that come with rapid growth.
"I feel like us in Bennington are always under construction. We're kind of used to having to take a bunch of different ways and detours."
The project will start after Memorial Day in 2027, with a scheduled partial opening in mid-August. Douglas County said that following this project, and as the area continues to grow, it is possible a lane will be added to both 156th and State Street in each direction.
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