Eliminating two railroad crossings in Nebraska could boost the economy in the city of Lincoln and beyond.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) has been given the green light for a transformative upgrade project in Lincoln, Nebraska. A partnership between civic resources and the largest freight rail network in the US, will see a US$120 million railroad improvement in the city, to accelerate freight movement and improve safety along the railway.
A mid-west logistics bottleneck may be solved by a plan to separate rail tracks from highways in the busy Nebraska city of Lincoln. A road bridge is planned to carry city streets over the busy BNSF mainline that originates in Omaha and runs all the way to San Fransisco.
Accident blackspot
According to the project partners, the BNSF railway currently carries 48 trains daily on a double-track mainline through Lincoln. Those freight movements account for at least three and a half hours of delay at each of two adjacent “at-grade” railroad level crossings – at N33rd Street and Adams Street. Both roads feed directly onto the busy Cornhusker Highway.
The railroad cuts across the northwest of the city, separating the business district and leafy suburbs from the industrial quarter and the airport. Relieving the delays at the crossings will boost the local economy, say civic leaders. It is also hoped to provide a safer environment at what has become known as an accident blackspot, with a history of fatalities.
Enhance connectivity for Lincoln
The key feature of the project is the construction of a new bridge over the rail corridor, which will eliminate traffic crossings and streamline operations. The length of approaches and the urban surroundings complicate the project. Removing the level crossings will also improve railroad access between Havelock Yard and the nationally important Hobson Yard on the west edge of the city. Ambitious BNSF also recently announced a large development in Barstow, California.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said that making improvements at two railroad crossings and intersections near 33rd Street and Cornhusker Highway will improve safety, reduce traffic delays, and enhance connectivity for Lincoln residents. Construction is expected to begin in 2028, with an opening date estimated for late 2031. The railroad also carries Amtrak’s longest daily passenger service, the Californian Zephyr, between Chicago and San Fransisco.