“It could be a nightmare,” Jensen said about the busy construction season the city of Kearney anticipates in 2025. Work will include two major street projects:

$3.2 million for a roundabout north of University Village on U.S. Highway 30 in west Kearney.

$1.5 million to repair and strengthen the three-lane 30th Avenue overpass in southwest Kearney.

Speaking to the Kearney Sertoma Club, Jensen said work will begin on the Highway 30 roundabout as soon as classes are finished in the spring. With favorable weather, the roundabout could be finished before classes resume in the fall.

The roundabout’s mission will be to tame congestion in a rapidly developing area where the Doug Kristensen Rural Health Education Center is under construction and the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Treatment Center recently opened.

The cancer center is among structures in the 104-acre University Village complex that includes Element 30 apartments, the UNK Regional Engagement Center, and indoor tennis and early childhood education centers.

When the assortment of professional buildings, restaurants and other facilities are complete, the University Village will double the size of UNK’s campus.

Jensen said the roundabout will boost safety for motor vehicle traffic and includes features to protect pedestrians crossing Highway 30. The city’s share of the $3.2 million roundabout is about $300,000, with UNK and the Nebraska Department of Transportation sharing most of the remaining cost.

While the roundabout is intended to make an immediate improvement in motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic, the repairs and strengthening of the 30th Avenue overpass are part of a long-term plan to add a third Kearney interchange for Interstate 80.

The city will refurbish and strengthen the overpass in 2025 in anticipation of turning the three-lane overpass into a four-lane structure. The expansion to four lanes could take place in 2031 at an estimated cost of $3.1 million, according to the city’s plans.

Jensen touched on a number of other city of Kearney topics during her Sertoma presentation.

SportsPlex: The $46 million SportsPlex will have a soft opening the last weekend of March and officially open the first week of April.

Air Service: Sky West has been flying from Kearney to Denver since Nov. 1. Jensen said there has been a 32% increase in boardings since the popular airline resumed service in Kearney. Jensen said it’s possible Kearney will bring back service to Chicago, but the current focus will be stabilizing numbers to Denver before resuming Chicago flights.

Legislature: Jensen said Kearney is watching the Legislature closely in case Kearney’s 1.5% municipal sales tax is threatened. The voter-approved tax produces about $12 million annually. That revenue helps reduce city property taxes while allowing Kearney leeway to pursue special projects.

“Taking away our local option sales tax would be an absolute detriment to the city,” Jensen said.