Highways That Lead You to the Heartland

 

 

Local/Regional Traffic

 

Two state highways intersect in Wayne, Highway 15 and Highway 35.  Highway 35 is a major arterial and is included on the Nebraska’s Priority Commercial System, as well as, the Nebraska’s Planned Expressway System.  N-35 connects Norfolk and South Sioux City running east/west.  Highway 15 connects southbound traffic from Wayne to I-80 and northbound traffic to Vermillion, South Dakota.

 

Long-Distance Interstate Traffic

 

Relatively little long-distance multi-state traffic currently uses N-35.  However, highway improvements in Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota could potentially increase the attractiveness of N-35 as a corridor used by longer-distance traffic.  These improvements include:

 

Four-lane improvement of US 20 from Chicago to Sioux City;

 

Four-lane improvement of Highway 60 from Sioux City to Minneapolis;

 

Completion of the Vermillion-Newcastle Bridge across the Missouri River; and

 

Four-lane improvement of US 151 between Dubuque and Madison, Wisconsin

 

The planned highway improvements in Nebraska and the highway changes planned in the multi-state network may provide the impetus to cause traffic to funnel from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Northern Iowa through the Northeast Nebraska Region and then on to Western Nebraska and other points west.  The only missing highway link is the section between Norfolk and Sioux City.  Communities along Highway 35 have formed an Expressway Association and are working with local, state, and federal officials to encourage the development of the four-lane Highway 35 Expressway.  A Feasibility Study was done in 2000, which concluded the expressway was feasible in five areas: engineering/cost, environmental, need based (with the inclusion of other state highway improvements), travel efficiency, and economic development.  Currently, a Corridor Study is being conducted which will identify a preferred alignment.