US 26 and 275 in Nebraska

US 275 in Nebraska

US 26 in Nebraska

US 26
Get started Henry
End Ogallala
Length 151 mi
Length 243 km
Route
Wyoming

Scottsbluff

Bridgeport

Ogallala

According to iamaccepted, US 26 is a US Highway in the US state of Nebraska. The road forms an east-west route southeast from the Wyoming border through Scottsbluff to US 30 in Ogallala. The road follows the course of the North Platte River and is 150 miles long.

Travel directions

US 26, descending into the North Platte River Valley west of Ogallala.

US 26 east of Bridgeport.

The road enters the state at the village of Henry. US 26 in Wyoming then comes from Casper and heads southeast. Between Morrill and Scottsbluff the road even has 2×2 lanes. One then reaches Scottsbluff, a regional town with 15,000 inhabitants, the westernmost larger town in the state. The area you pass through is sloping with some trees, because you drive in the valley of the North Platte River. Further along the route are some curious rocky outcrops, the Courthouse & Jail Rocks, which tower high above the landscape. In Bridgeport you cross the US 385. The road then continues on its straight route to the southeast, following 150 miles of countryside before reaching the town of Ogallala, where US 26 terminates at US 30, which again parallels Interstate 80.

History

US 26 was created in 1926. The eastern terminus has always been Ogallala, so the route has not changed significantly in Nebraska, except for a new route between Lewellen and Ogallala in connection with the creation of Lake McConaughy, a reservoir. Part of the route has been extended with 4 lanes around Scottsbluff. Originally, there was also a US 26N between 1936 and 1959 in the Bridgeport area. This was a secondary road. In 2004, US 26 in the Scottsbluff region was widened to a 2×2 divided highway, between Morrill and Minatare. This was one of the projects of the 1988 expressway plan.

Traffic intensities

The road will handle some through traffic wanting from I-80 heading north and central Wyoming, not taking the detour through Cheyenne. The intensities are around 2,000 on the rural stretches to 9,000 on Scottsbluff.

US 275 in Nebraska

US 275
Get started omaha
End O’Neill
Length 189 mi
Length 304 km
Route
Iowao

Maha

Fremont

West Point

Norfolk

O’Neill

According to acronymmonster.com, US 275 is a US Highway in the US state of Nebraska. The road forms a north-south route that runs more northwest from the Iowa border at Omaha through Fremont and Norfolk to O’Neill. Between Omaha and Fremont the road is still fairly important and partly a highway, but further west the road is a secondary connection. The route is 304 kilometers long.

Travel directions

The road enters the state in the large city of Omaha, to its south, by crossing the Missouri River. US 275 in Iowa comes from Interstate 29. The road then runs west as an urban arterial, through Omaha’s southern neighborhoods and intersects US 75, the city’s southern approach road that has been developed as a highway. One then crosses Interstate 80, after which the road runs west via wide urban arterials with traffic lights. One crosses the US 6then grade-separated, after which the road turns north, forming a motorway in itself. This highway is about 35 kilometers long and connects the town of Fremont with Omaha. The highway also runs parallel to the Platte River.

In Fremont you cross the US 30, after which the road merges with the US 77 towards Sioux City. This double numbering lasts about 15 kilometers, after which US 275 turns northwest and forms a secondary route. The road follows the course of the Elkhorn River and passes through flat farmland. From time to time there are small villages on the route, and after about 100 kilometers you reach the town of Norfolk. It crosses US 81, the main route from Columbus in the south to Yankton in South Dakota. US 275 then continues west along the Elkhorn River, passing through a slowly drying area. Every ten kilometers you pass through a village. The last 20 kilometers to O’Neill are double numbered with US 20, after which the road ends at US 281.

History

US 275 was added to the network in 1931. At the time, however, the route was no further north than Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 1939 the route was extended further via Omaha and Norfolk to O’Neill, up to US 281. US 275 is a fairly important route to Norfolk, and has also been expanded as a freeway at Fremont. The first part of it was the Fremont bypass, which opened as a divided highway in the early 1990s. The highway section opened from Valley to Fremont around 2000. In 2006 the widening between Omaha and Fremont was completed.

Later, the road north of Fremont was also widened to 2×2 lanes. In the second half of the 1990s, the double numbering with US 77 between Fremont and Hooper was widened to 2×2 lanes. About 2008 the Hooper bypass opened and a bit further to Scribner. Between 2021 and 2024, the section between Scribner and West Point has been widened to 2×2 lanes.

Further northwest at Norfolk, the road has also been widened to 2×2 lanes. In the mid 1990s, the east side of Norfolk was widened to 2×2 lanes over a few miles. In about 2004, an eight-mile stretch east of Norfolk was widened to 2×2 lanes. Between 2006 and 2009, 10 miles of US 275 west of Norfolk was widened to 2×2 lanes.

Traffic intensities

The section in Omaha is obviously quite busy with up to 48,000 vehicles per day off I-80. The highway section to Fremont has about 20,000 vehicles, after which another 5,000 drive between Fremont and Norfolk. West of Norfolk, the road is getting quieter with just 1,500 vehicles left for O’Neill.

US 275 in Nebraska