NDOT holding public meeting Thursday to preview changes to Highway 136

If you live in Fairbury or frequently travel on Highway 136 in Southeast Nebraska, listen up - there could be significant changes in store for a stretch of that road.

The plan is to repair a half-mile stretch of the road east of the intersections of Highways 136 and 15. And the bigger piece of the equation: remaking a 1.2-mile stretch of road from a four-way highway to a three-way highway, with a two-way left turn lane in the center. There would also be a new pedestrian crosswalk created.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation is holding a public meeting to present and discuss some of these plans Thursday night from 5 to 7 PM in the Fairbury community building. It's an open house format, meaning you can drop in for as long as you'd like.

"The purpose of this project is to preserve the transportation asset, improve the reliability of the transportation system and perpetuate the mobility of the traveling public. The need for this project is based on the current condition of the roadway," the NDOT says.

NDOT estimates the project will cost $9.2 million. After gathering feedback and insight from the public this month, the construction group would spend 2026 planning for the project and acquiring necessary permits, such as through right-of-ways. Construction would then run through most of 2027, spanning three phases, but no detours would be needed.

NDOT is encouraging those with questions to either attend Thursday's meeting, or fill out a form on the NDOT website.