The Nebraska Department of Transportation plans to construct two new restricted crossing U-turns, or RCUTs, on a stretch of Nebraska Highway 2 near Palmyra.
The intersections at Nebraska Highway 43 and Spur 66-A are scheduled for reconstruction next spring
In 2023, the Lincoln Journal Star reported that residents of the Palmyra area contacted the NDOT with concerns about the stretch of the road following two crashes that injured nine people and resulted in the death of one woman. NDOT announced lowering of the speed limit from 70 to 55 mph later that year.
NDOT conducted research on crash trends on the highway and decided the best solution would be to construct the two RCUT intersections. Brandon Varilek, NDOT’s District One engineer, said the goal is to reduce crashes on the highway.
“The RCUTs are great for reducing the frequency and severity of accidents, when you've got a high-speed, four-lane divided roadway with side streets bumping into it,” Varilek said.
The RCUT intersection will prevent drivers from turning left or crossing the highway. Instead, they will have to make a U-turn at a median opening to proceed left. NDOT said the intersection cuts down vehicle conflict points by over 40%. And when crashes do occur, they tend to be less severe.
NDOT has built RCUTs in three other Nebraska locations over the past five years. Varilek says the first location constructed near Humphrey has yielded great results.
“The oldest one is at (U.S.) Highway 81 near Humphrey,” he said. “We've seen dramatic decrease in the number of accidents as well as the severity at that intersection because of that RCUT.”
NDOT says that between 2021 and 2023, the RCUT near Humphrey reduced crashes by 54% and reduced fatalities and injuries by 96%.