NORTHEAST NEBRASKA — State transportation officials are urging drivers to exercise caution as construction activity ramps up across Nebraska, following a series of work zone crashes that have raised safety concerns early in 2026.
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The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) is preparing for an active construction season spanning spring through fall, with at least 17 projects planned across northeast Nebraska alone. These projects include roadway resurfacing, bridge repairs and replacements, and highway expansions.
In Ponca, crews are working along U.S. Highway 20 on resurfacing and bridge improvements, while traffic is already shifting along U.S. Highway 275 near Wisner as part of a project to expand the corridor from two lanes to a four-lane expressway.
As construction activity increases, so too have safety risks. According to NDOT, there have been 30 work zone crashes statewide since Jan. 1, 2026. While only two of those incidents occurred in District 3 — covering northeast Nebraska — neither resulted in injuries.
The broader trend remains concerning. In 2025, Nebraska recorded 606 work zone crashes, underscoring the persistent dangers facing both motorists and construction crews.
Rob Davis, a district construction engineer with NDOT, said many of these crashes stem from driver inattention.
“One of them was a rear-end accident where somebody was slowing to turn onto a side street, and the other one was somebody hitting a patch of ice that slid into another vehicle,” Davis said. “Somebody slows down, and somebody behind them fails to slow down. So it’s really inattention that causes most of the crashes we see.”
Law enforcement officials echoed those concerns. Dylan Frerichs noted that distracted driving continues to be a leading factor in work zone incidents.
“A lot of people are on their phones. A lot of people aren’t paying attention. And especially in a work zone, it’s extremely important that you are paying attention to what’s going on,” Frerichs said.
In response, NDOT is implementing new safety strategies designed to reduce risks for both workers and drivers. One key initiative is the increased use of automated flagging devices, which replace human flaggers with mechanical systems that control traffic flow.
“We’ve increased the usage because they’re really handy, because we don’t have to have a person out there in traffic stopping traffic,” Davis said. “We’ve actually, across the state, we’ve had several of the cross arms, because they have a cross arm similar to a railroad crossing, we’ve had several cross arms hit by traffic.”
Officials say these systems help limit worker exposure to traffic, even though they are not immune to collisions.
NDOT also continues to emphasize driver education, urging motorists to slow down, follow posted signage, and remain alert in construction zones. Drivers should expect lane closures, detours, flaggers and pilot vehicles throughout the construction season.
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Davis stressed that unfamiliar conditions — including cones, heavy equipment and changing traffic patterns — can distract drivers and lead to dangerous situations.
“Because of the cones and the construction, the workers, equipment, the lights, they get distracted, and they’re paying more attention to the work that’s going on instead of paying attention to their lane of travel, the vehicles around them, or if there’s a sign saying to slow down,” he said.
Frerichs added that adhering to posted speed limits is critical, especially as Nebraska lawmakers have recently increased fines for speeding in work zones in an effort to curb accidents.
“A lot of the work zones will say reduce speed ahead, workers present, be paying attention to that speed change if that is present for that situation. Be aware of what’s going on around you,” he said.
As construction activity intensifies statewide, transportation officials say a combination of enforcement, technology and public awareness will be key to improving safety outcomes.
Originally reported by Taylor Deckert in KTIV.
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