FAIRBURY, Neb. - The Nebraska Department of Transportation will host a public information open house next month to share improvement plans for U.S. Highway 136 in Fairbury.

The meeting is set for Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Fairbury Community Building. 

The proposed project covers roughly 1.6-miles of U.S. 136 through Fairbury. NDOT plans to repair just under a half a mile of concrete pavement beginning just west of the viaduct over the Union Pacific Railroad and continuing east past the US-136 and Tilden Street intersection.

From there, the project would shift into a full reconstruction of 1.2 miles of the highway, converting it into a three-lane roadway with a center two-way left-turn lane and one eastbound and westbound travel lane. The work would stretch from just east of Tilden Street to just west of L Street.

NDOT noted that no construction is planned on the railroad viaduct itself.

Construction depends on the project receiving Congressionally Directed Spending. If approved, work could begin as early as spring 2027 and wrap up by winter of that year. NDOT says the project would be built under traffic with no detours, though drivers can expect temporary impacts to business and neighborhood access during construction.

Local traffic would still be able to cross U.S. 136 at intersections not under active construction.