U.S. Route 20 in Nebraska
Route information | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Maintained by NDOT | ||||
Length | 431.57 mi[1] (694.54 km) | |||
Existed | 1926–present | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | US 20 west of Harrison | |||
US 385 near Chadron US 83 near Valentine US 183 at Bassett US 281 at O'Neill US 275 at O'Neill US 81 near Randolph US 75 / US 77 near South Sioux City | ||||
East end | I-129 / US 20 / US 75 at South Sioux City | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Nebraska | |||
Highway system | ||||
|
U.S. Highway 20 in Nebraska is a major east–west artery running across northern Nebraska. It enters the state in sparsely populated northwest Nebraska as a rural two lane highway. It exits concurrently with Interstate 129 and U.S. Highway 75 by a Missouri River crossing at South Sioux City.
Route description
U.S. 20 enters Nebraska from Wyoming near the Niobrara River and continues 9 miles (14 km) before encountering the first city on the route, Harrison. It then crosses the White River near Fort Robinson and, at Crawford heads northeast where it meets with U.S. Highway 385 for two miles (3 km) before entering Chadron. It then heads southeast toward Hay Springs where it again turns in an east/northeasterly direction toward Merriman. At this point U.S. 20 is only about 5 miles (8.0 km) from the South Dakota border. From Merriman it heads east through the small towns of Cody, Nenzel, and Kilgore to Valentine. This 196-mile (315 km) section of U.S. 20 has been noted by the Department of Roads for its history and natural beauty and has been designated as the "Bridges to Buttes Byway."[1][2]
At Valentine U.S. 20 heads south as it overlaps U.S. Highway 83 for 5 miles (8.0 km). It then continues southeast towards Ainsworth passing through Wood Lake and Johnstown on the way. At Ainsworth it heads due east past Bassett and Newport. Then near Stuart it follows the Elkhorn River through Atkinson and Emmet before meeting up with U.S. 275 in O'Neill.[1][2]
In O'Neill U.S. 20 turns southeast and joins with U.S. Highway 275 for 13 miles (21 km), passing through Inman before again branching off on its own. From there it passes through Orchard, Royal, Plainview and Osmond before it junctions with U.S. Highway 81. From there it continues east through Laurel where it turns due north on a concurrency with Nebraska Highway 15 for 3 miles (4.8 km). Heading east again it passes through Willis and then Jackson near the South Sioux City outskirts.[1][2]
The last section of U.S. 20 is essentially a southern bypass of South Sioux City. About one mile (1.6 km) before the U.S. 20/U.S. 75/77 Jct it becomes an expressway. At the junction of U.S. Highway 75 and U.S. Highway 77 it joins with U.S. 75 and Interstate 129 as a freeway into Iowa. From there it continues its function as a southeast bypass of Sioux City.[1][2]
Former alignment
An older alignment of US-20 ran about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of the current section east of Laurel. This alignment went due east from Laurel, passing just north of Dixon and Allen, then headed north to the current alignment along Nebraska Highway 9. [3]
History
In November, 2010, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman approved designating US-20 from Hay Springs to Fort Robinson in honor of Crazy Horse, capping a year-long effort by citizens of Chadron. The designation may extend east another 100 miles through Cherry County to Valentine.[4] These segments of US-20 are also part of the Nebraska Bridges to Buttes Scenic Highway and follows the well-known Cowboy Line, a partially abandoned railroad now used as a hiking and biking trail.
Major intersections
County | Location | Mile[1] | Junction | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sioux | 0.00 | US 20 west |
Wyoming border | |
Harrison | 8.99 | N-29 south (Main Street) |
||
Dawes | Crawford | 35.34 | N-2 east / N-71 south |
West end of NE 2/NE 71 overlap |
36.20 | N-2 west / N-71 north |
East end of NE 2/NE 71 overlap | ||
Whitney | 45.07 | Lua error in Module:Jct at line 204: attempt to concatenate local 'link' (a nil value). | ||
56.06 | Lua error in Module:Jct at line 204: attempt to concatenate local 'link' (a nil value). | |||
56.39 | US 385 north |
West end of US 385 overlap | ||
Chadron | 58.59 | US 385 south (Ash Street) |
East end of US 385 overlap | |
Sheridan | Hay Springs | 78.88 | N-87 south |
West end of NE 87 overlap |
Rushville | 90.27 | N-87 north |
East end of NE 87 overlap | |
91.29 | N-250 south (Chamberlain Street) |
|||
Gordon | 105.91 | N-27 (South Main Street) | ||
Cherry | Merriman | 135.81 | N-61 south (Mills Street) |
West end of NE 61 overlap |
135.84 | N-61 north |
East end of NE 61 overlap | ||
Nenzel | 167.03 | Lua error in Module:Jct at line 204: attempt to concatenate local 'link' (a nil value). | ||
Valentine | 196.72 | N-97 south (Airport Road) |
||
196.92 | US 83 north (South Main Street) |
West end of US 83 overlap | ||
202.08 | US 83 south |
East end of US 83 overlap | ||
Brown | Ainsworth | 242.08 | N-7 south (North Main Street) |
West end of NE 7 overlap |
Long Pine | 247.55 | US 183 north |
West end of US 183 overlap | |
250.39 | Lua error in Module:Jct at line 204: attempt to concatenate local 'link' (a nil value). | |||
Rock | Bassett | 259.17 | US 183 south / N-7 north (Clark Street) |
East end of US 183/NE 7 overlap |
Newport | 270.25 | N-137 north (4th Street) |
||
Holt | Atkinson | 289.25 | N-11 north |
West end of NE 11 overlap |
289.76 | N-11 south (South Hyde Street) |
East end of NE 11 overlap | ||
O'Neill | 307.09 | US 281 north (North Harrison Street) |
West end of US 281 overlap | |
307.59 | US 281 south (South 4th Street) / US 275 |
East end of US 281 overlap, west end of US 275 overlap | ||
320.62 | US 275 south |
East end of US 275 overlap | ||
Page | 322.80 | Lua error in Module:Jct at line 204: attempt to concatenate local 'link' (a nil value). | ||
Ewing | 326.69 | Lua error in Module:Jct at line 204: attempt to concatenate local 'link' (a nil value). | ||
Antelope | 342.73 | N-14 | ||
Brunswick | 345.77 | Lua error in Module:Jct at line 204: attempt to concatenate local 'link' (a nil value). | ||
349.75 | N-13 north |
West end of NE 13 overlap | ||
Pierce | Plainview | 354.43 | N-13 south |
East end of NE 13 overlap |
Osmond | 364.55 | N-121 south (546th Avenue) |
West end of NE 121 overlap | |
367.84 | N-121 north (549th Avenue) |
East end of NE 121 overlap | ||
McLean | 371.83 | Lua error in Module:Jct at line 204: attempt to concatenate local 'link' (a nil value). | ||
373.83 | US 81 (555th Avenue) | |||
Cedar | Belden | 385.36 | N-57 north (566th Avenue) |
West end of NE 57 overlap |
386.38 | N-57 south (567th Avenue) |
East end of NE 57 overlap | ||
Laurel | 391.41 | N-15 south |
West end of NE 15 overlap | |
393.92 | N-15 north (572 Avenue) |
East end of NE 15 overlap | ||
394.62 | N-59 west (872nd Road) |
|||
Dixon | 399.20 | N-116 south (577 Avenue) |
||
406.93 | N-9 south |
West end of NE 9 overlap | ||
407.74 | N-9 north |
East end of NE 9 overlap | ||
Waterbury | 413.05 | Lua error in Module:Jct at line 204: attempt to concatenate local 'link' (a nil value). | ||
Dakota | 418.07 | N-12 west |
||
426.33 | N-110 south (G Avenue) |
|||
South Sioux City | 428.36 | West end of freeway section | ||
I-129 | West end of I-129 overlap | |||
428.74 | US 75 / US 77 south – Fairgrounds |
I-129 exit 1A, west end of US 75 overlap | ||
428.76 | US 77 north – Sioux City |
I-129 exit 1B | ||
429.86 | South Sioux City, Dakota City | I-129 exit 2 | ||
431.57 | I-129 / US 20 east / US 75 north |
Iowa border at Sergeant Floyd Memorial Bridge over Missouri River |
References
- ^ a b c d e f Nebraska Highway Reference Log Book
- ^ a b c d "overview of U.S. Route 20 in Nebraska" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 2010-11-11.
- ^ Nebraska Highways 1 to 30
- ^ Rempp, Kerri (2010-11-17). "Nebraska highway to be named for Lakota leader". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved 2010-12-17.
External links