Seward County
Board of Commissioners
Projects
Meeting Time: Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m.
Location: Courthouse - Room 303
These meetings are open to the public
Community Funding Appropriations Application
~ 420th Road Paving Project
Senator Mike Flood called for applications for the House Appropriations committee in the spring of 2023. The Board of Commissioners applied for assistance in funding the paving of 420th Road (also known as the Beaver Road) between I-80 and Highway 34. The estimated total cost of this project is approximately $8 million. We received a $3 million allocation for FY2024 and have plans to apply for a FY 2025 appropriation. This project is on the current Six Year Road Plan.
The 420th Road Paving project addresses a critical infrastructure gap in western Seward County. The goal is to better connect constituents, law enforcement, emergency services, schools, and agricultural producers to Highway 34. 420th Road is currently unpaved and the most used north-south route on the west side of the county linking I-80 to Highway 34. The steady truck and commuter traffic makes it difficult to maintain with hard to prevent washboards and potholes. Weather conditions and materials present challenges.
In addition to commuters, buses, and regular resident traffic, the route provides direct access for several agricultural producers. Specifically, there are two chicken farms, three feedlots, and a trucking business that utilize this road daily. Similarly, traffic on this route is significantly heightened during harvest when semis haul corn and soybeans to various elevators within the surrounding area.
Unfortunately, I-80 through Seward County has a high number of accidents, and this road is a regular detour to re-route traffic. Emergency personnel utilize the route to access patients and transport them to Seward if the interstate is closed.
Bottom line, paving of this roadway is not only necessary for those who live and work within Seward County but also those who are traveling through.
