Hawkins Construction of Omaha will build the Lincoln South Beltway, connecting U.S. Highway 77 and Nebraska Highway 2.

The Lincoln South Beltway is the largest and among the most complex projects undertaken by the Nebraska Department of Transportation, the agency said in a news release. The $352 million contract covers construction of an 11-mile east-west four-lane freeway to reduce congestion through Lincoln and improve mobility.

Construction is slated to start in the spring, with the freeway open to traffic in spring 2023. Vegetation is already being removed from the new roadway area.

“Awarding the contract for Lincoln South Beltway is decades in the making,” NDOT Director Kyle Schneweis said Dec. 20. “A lot of work has gone into getting us to today’s announcement and it brings us one step closer to breaking ground on a project that will improve the quality of life for many Nebraskans.”

NDOT began work on the South Beltway project decades ago. After passage of the Build Nebraska Act, NDOT partnered with the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County and the U.S. Department of Transportation to secure funding and prioritize the project.

A new financing approach – the use of Deferred Contract Payment Certificates – allows the project to be built over three years but paid over an eight-year period, accelerating original phased plans.