NEBRASKA -- A section of Interstate 80 in Nebraska is getting a revamp. 

According to a news release, the state received $21.2 million from a Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant.

This will help fund a construction project on I-80 in Buffalo County between Odessa and Kearney. 

The project will consist of removing nine miles of existing pavement and replacing it with new, durable concrete surface and shoulders designed to withstand heavy traffic and extreme weather conditions. It will also include the removal and replacement of a rural two-lane bridge over I-80.

Gov. Jim Pillen said this will help the Nebraska’s economy. 

“I-80 is the busiest freight corridor in Nebraska, and freight traffic is only going up," said Pillen. "When this project is completed, it will bolster our economy in the central part of the state by helping ensure our transportation system provides good, ample access to major cities and distribution centers.”

The news release says I-80 supports over 22,000 vehicles a day, and it is expected to increase in the coming years. It is projected that by 2045, it will carry around 623 million tons of freight annually, which is valued at $404 billion.

The project’s estimated cost is $35.3 million. The remaining will be funded between National Highway Performance Program funding through the Federal Highway Administration and state transportation funds. 

U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts said in a statement that he helped secure the funding by sending a letter of support for the project to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Construction is set to begin in the spring of 2026 and is expected to be finished by the end of 2027.