GRAND ISLAND, Neb. - - A major US highway that goes through Grand Island is scaling up. 
 
Construction crews broke ground on Monday on the U.S. Highway 30 Grand Island West project. The state is following through on an idea that's been talked about since 2006: turning Highway 30 into a four-lane expressway.
 
Nebraska Department of Transportation Director Vicki Kramer said the expansion will help traffic. 
 
“Anyone who’s driven through Grand Island understands its connection with Highway 30 with Kearney and with trying to get through the town," Kramer said. "So, in terms of just having better access, having better congestion relief going from a two-lane to a four-lane divided highway, there’s safety elements to it, there’s increased capacity." 
 
Werner Construction is in charge of the project. It includes about four miles of work from Alda to the interchange with U.S. Highway 281 in west Grand Island. Crews will realign existing roads to line up to the proposed Highway 30 route.
 
Construction is expected to take two years and will cost around $33 million dollars. 
 
This expansion project is part of the Build Nebraska Act passed by the Legislature in 2011 and 2013.