Heartland Expressway (Scottsbluff, Chadron, Kimball: moving to, cities, building)

[dakota79]

I am highly considering moving to western Nebraska, and see and hear the term "Heartland Expressway" mentioned quite a bit. I see it on a map sometimes, but I am just wondering a few things.

Is this a newly constructed road or an existing road with upgrades? Does the road follow a certain route number or does it change along the way?

Is it a real highway, similar to an interstate highway with exits and overpasses, or just a four lane road with stoplights near the cities?

What is the speed limit?

Any detailed information would be helpful. I did check out the official project website, but it had limited information.

[Go Ne]

Its a new and I think large highway between Rapid City and Denver, like an interstate, I think it alos has 60 mph speed limits and I don't think its even done yet!

[tpabes]

The expressway is a plan to build a 4-lane connection between Rapid City and Denver. In Nebraska it is Ne 71 from the Colorado border north to Scottsbluff, it then heads east on Hwy 26 and hwy link 62A. It will then go north on US 385 into South Dakota. The only part that is done is from just north of Kimball to Scottsbluff and a little east of Scottsbluff. They are building the bypass around Kimball and connection to I-80 currently. There might be plans to complete the rest of the portion east of Scottsbluff to 385.

It's basically a 4-lane at grade road for the most part, the bypass around Scottsbluff does have some interstate type exits. The speed limit is 65 for most of it, 2 or 4 laned. It probably won't be completely done for a long, long time. We had a thread about it awhile ago, so there might also be some information in there.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/nebra...xpressway.html

[IsThisOneTaken?]

tpabes covered it pretty well. Nebraska's stretch, both existing and proposed will have very few stoplights, but you will have to slow down through communities.

There are in the process of building a bypass around Kimball right now, so when it is done, from I-80 north to Scottsbluff on 71 then east on 26 it will be four lane with only one stop until you hit Minataire. Then it is 2-lane to the link to 385 with a stop there, then 2 lane until you hit Chadron, where you stop at Highway 20, go west with 20, then 2 lane into SD to Hot Springs. At Hot Springs it becomes 4 lanes, but you move off 385 and onto a SD highway whose number I can't remember.