Legal Notice NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE Public Information Open House Meetings Wednesday, June 26, 2024 |11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Onawa Community and Recreation Center, 320 10th St., Onawa, IA 51040 Thursday, June 27, 2024 | 5 – 7 p.m. | Decatur City Hall, 913 S Broadway St., Decatur, NE 68020 STP-51-7(109) Decatur Bridge; CN 32395 The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) and the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) are seeking input on the proposed Decatur Bridge project, which would improve the Nebraska Highway 51 (N-51) / Iowa Highway 175 (IA-175) Missouri River crossing in Burt County, Nebraska and Monona County, Iowa. Two public information open house meetings will be held. The meetings will be held in an open house format with no formal presentation. Both meetings will present the same information. The purpose of the proposed action is to provide a resilient river crossing connecting Decatur, Nebraska/N-51, and Onawa, Iowa/IA-175 that maintains access to regional employment, education, health care centers and recreational facilities; maintains accessibility for emergency services; and provides infrastructure to support current and future travel demand. The project is needed to maintain connectivity, improve the infrastructure condition and improve resiliency against flooding. At this meeting, the public will have the opportunity to comment on the studies conducted to date. Comments will be considered by NDOT, Iowa DOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to determine the appropriate National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) class of action. Effects evaluated will include those to wetlands, threatened and endangered species, historic properties and cultural resources, parks and recreation areas, minority and low-income populations, aesthetics and properties. As the study process continues, the public will be provided a future opportunity to comment on the Draft NEPA document prior to the issuance of an environmental decision by FHWA. The proposed project may require the acquisition of additional property rights which could include new right-of-way (ROW), control of access (CA), permanent easements (PE) and/or temporary easements (TE) for construction throughout the project area. Relocations may be required depending on the alternative selected. If your property would be impacted by this project, you would be contacted by a representative in the future once the design footprint has been established. The Decatur Bridge project planning and design would occur over three phases and multiple years. Construction would be dependent on available funding but could begin as early as 2029. These meetings are being held to provide information regarding the project, currently in the study phase, and to receive the public’s input. All interested persons are invited to attend and present relevant comments and questions. Study information will be displayed and personnel from NDOT, Iowa DOT and FHWA will be present to answer questions and receive comments. NDOT will make every reasonable accommodation to provide accessible meeting facilities for all persons. Appropriate provisions for the hearing and visually challenged or persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) will be made if NDOT is notified by June 19, 2024. Information regarding the proposed project will be made available on the project website after the meetings at ndot.info/32395. For those without internet access, information may be obtained at NDOT Headquarters, 1500 Nebraska Parkway, Lincoln, NE 68502 or by contacting: Kevin Domogalla, NDOT District 3 Engineer, at (402) 370-3470 or kevin.domogalla@nebraska.gov. Comments will be collected through July 15, 2024, and should be submitted to: Sarah Fisher NDOT Public Involvement PO Box 94759 Lincoln, NE 68509-4759 ZNEZ LMS 06-06-24
