Congressman Flood Testifies Before Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Supporting the Lincoln East Beltway

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Mike Flood (R-NE) testified before the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, emphasizing the importance of federal partnership in support of the Lincoln East Beltway.

Video of Congressman Flood's remarks can be accessed by clicking here. News outlets are welcome to use the footage for reporting purposes. The full text of Congressman Flood's testimony is provided below.

Acting Chairman and Acting Ranking Member Stanton, and all the members of the Committee, thank you. I'm grateful for the opportunity to highlight an important project in Nebraska's First Congressional District.

Specifically, I would like to call your attention to the proposed Lincoln East Beltway. It is located in the capital city of Nebraska and in Lancaster County, proud home to the University of Nebraska and, most importantly, where 300,000 Nebraskans live.

The Lincoln East Beltway is a proposed new highway corridor on the east side of the Lincoln metro area, spanning 13 miles from the existing Lincoln South Beltway to I-80. This project involves the development of a four-lane divided freeway that would alleviate congestion, improve connectivity, support regional growth, and improve safety in the Lincoln area.

Recognized as a key transportation priority, the Lincoln East Beltway is included in the Lincoln-Lancaster County 2050 Comprehensive Plan for corridor protection and is listed in the Metropolitan Planning Organization's 2025-2028 Transportation Improvement Plan.

On January 23, 2007, the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County entered into an agreement with the Nebraska Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to prepare a preliminary design and to file corridor protection plans for this beltway. The Nebraska Corridor Protection Statute provides an important tool for responsible planning.

Since its inception, the City of Lincoln and the County have acquired approximately $4.1 million of right-of-way through the corridor protection process, and they are positioned to continue protecting the corridor as parcels become available for purchase.

These transportation options are vital to keeping the City of Lincoln economically competitive. Physical transportation infrastructure is integral-it is a component of the supply chain that supports continued local, regional, and statewide growth in a competitive global economy.

Now that the City of Lincoln South Beltway is complete, using almost entirely state dollars, with some help thanks to Senator Fischer in the Senate, the Lincoln East Beltway remains the final uncompleted portion of the expressway system around the city.

In anticipation of completing this project, Lincoln has invested millions of dollars in securing the East Beltway corridor for future development to ensure continued economic growth. Federal investment is critical to realize the completion of this expressway.

Once complete, the East Beltway will see anywhere from 14,000 to 28,000 vehicles per day. It will provide an alternate route to existing roads, reducing traffic congestion on major corridors such as U.S. Highway 77, Nebraska Highway 6, and Nebraska Highway 2.

By diverting through traffic-particularly heavy truck traffic-away from residential and commercial areas, the project will enhance daily commutes, reduce travel times, and improve safety. It will alleviate congestion, provide Nebraskans better access to I-80, and reduce traffic accidents.

This project has been a vision for local leaders for 100 years. Lincoln is one of the last remaining cities in this country of its size that does not have a loop highway that encircles it. City, county, state, and federal leaders have all been working toward this.
This is one of my top priorities. I'm working through the appropriations process and through the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization act to direct federal support to this priority transportation corridor in our capital city.

I'll leave you with this: in any study, Lincoln, Nebraska, is one of the best places to raise a family. It is a hub of industry, education, and research. It is the capital city. It is home to our entire state government apparatus, and it is growing with good people.

As people move into Omaha and move into Lincoln, the one thing Lincoln is missing is a loop around it. When we have it, our economy thrives even more, our safety improves, and the quality of life for the people who call this community home improves.

And we'd like a partnership with the federal government.