Decision time nearing, on Court Street Corridor master plan, in Beatrice

BEATRICE – Revamping the Court Street corridor and moving the highway to a block south in Beatrice comes with a hefty price tag.
A consulting firm’s report to the City of Beatrice estimates a Court Street corridor plan to make the area more pedestrian friendly could range in cost from about $3.5 million to over $4.8 million.

Redirecting the U.S. Highway heavier traffic a block south, city officials say, is an over $10 million project, for which the Nebraska Department of Transportation has expressed support.

The report from Olsson Studio was given to the mayor and council, Monday night. Landscape Architect Austin Vachal says he master plan took into account various objectives, including the prior suggestion to move truck traffic a block south.

"We have five main objectives in the master plan. Help retain and attract businesses to the corridor, provide a welcoming image to visitors, support an active downtown, create a comfortable pedestrian environment and improve downtown parking."

As proposed, the corridor would feature bump-outs, diagonal parking on the north side of Court and parallel parking on the south….various plantings and two round-abouts to move traffic efficiently…..at 2nd and Court and 8th and Court.

"Just by removing a lot of the high-speed and truck traffic from the corridor, it helps create a calmer, more pedestrian friendly environment. The pedestrian feels secondard in the existing layoff, now they feel this is a place they are supposed to be."

Two open house meetings for the public were held earlier to review initial concepts and receive public feedback and suggestions.  Mayor Bob Morgan says he expects the council will consider a resolution for approval of the concept design, in early August. City officials hope to receive state help for the project to relocate the highway truck traffic, a block south.