"When there's people turning left it can back up traffic so it'll create a little easier drive to get through and not have to worry about turning left in front of cars."
That's William Weeks, who has lived along East 6th Street since 1997. He was talking to KMTV in late September about the city's proposal to widen the road between 72nd and 84th streets. He also had a personal reason to support it: "I have a daughter that is in a wheelchair so it would be nice to have a sidewalk that goes all the way down to 72nd Street."
The turn lane and sidewalk Weeks describes are real, and they are coming. But the 0.8-mile project is just the first item in a longer queue. Read the city's proposed One- and Six-Year Road Plan for 2026 through 2032 year by year, and one intersection keeps coming up. Every year of the plan includes right-of-way, design or construction money for a road that runs into 84th and Cornhusker.
What The City Actually Proposed For 72nd To 84th
The city's notice, posted September 16, 2026, describes widening about 0.8 miles of East 6th Street, also known as Cornhusker Road. The plan has three parts:
- A center turn lane through the segment
- An ADA-compliant sidewalk on the south side
- A shared-use trail on the north side
The same notice explains what building it would involve. East 6th Street would close to through traffic within the project limits, with a signed detour. Some construction phases could limit or close driveway access, and the city would notify properties that would lose vehicle access entirely. Otherwise, access would be kept open through phasing and temporary driveway connections. The project also needs additional grading and property rights.
That last point is where neighbors' reactions differed in KMTV's reporting. Weeks said losing some land didn't worry him much: "I know it won't be that much land." He added one caveat: "I just hope people don't think it makes it easier to speed." Two other neighbors declined to appear on camera. One said her husband is disabled and she worries about how construction will affect access to their home. The other family said they were glad they would no longer have to maintain part of their sloping yard.
The traffic case for the project came from the top of Public Works. In October 2025, Public Works Director Michael Kleffner told KETV that the 72nd to 84th section operates at a level of service C and that adding the middle turn lane should raise it to an A.
Why "Coming Soon" Means 2028 At The Earliest
The city's September notice says construction could begin as early as fall 2028 and finish as early as fall 2029.
The schedule has moved since it was last reported. When the City Council approved last year's road plan, KETV reported that Cornhusker construction was expected in the 2026 to 2027 timeframe. At that point the full multi-phase program was estimated at nearly $38 million and expected to be close to done in 2030. None of the city materials explain the shift. The current notice does make clear that property rights still have to be acquired before work can start.
The proposed plan puts the money in this order. The 2026/27 fiscal year carries $1,000,000 for right-of-way on 72nd to 84th. Construction of that segment, at $16,000,000, sits in the 2027/28 column. At the August 26 Planning Commission hearing, Deputy Public Works Director of Operations Derek Goff described the plan's limits. He said first-year projects are well defined in timing and cost, while projects in years two through six can change. The fall 2028 date in the city's segment notice is the best guide to when equipment might actually show up.
The Rest Of The Queue Runs Through The Same Corner
Once the 72nd to 84th segment is in the ground, the plan continues west on Cornhusker and then turns onto 84th Street. Here is how the proposed 2026 to 2032 plan stacks the corridor work, with every figure from the city's plan document:
| Fiscal year | Cornhusker / East 6th / Portal | 84th Street |
|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 | 84th to 96th design, $1,000,000, listed as completed | |
| 2026/27 | 72nd to 84th right-of-way, $1,000,000 | |
| 2027/28 | 72nd to 84th construction, $16,000,000; 84th to 96th right-of-way, $1,500,000 | |
| 2028/29 | 84th to 96th construction, $20,000,000 | Cornhusker to Lincoln design, $3,000,000 |
| 2029/30 | Cornhusker to Lincoln construction, $17,000,000; Lincoln to Cedardale design, $3,000,000 | |
| 2030/31 | Lincoln to Cedardale construction, $17,000,000; Cornhusker to Giles design, $3,000,000 | |
| 2031/32 | Cornhusker to Giles construction, $17,000,000 |
Two of the 84th Street segments start at Cornhusker, one heading north toward Lincoln Road and one heading south toward Giles Road. Both Cornhusker segments meet 84th, one from the east and one from the west. Each year of the plan has at least one line item touching that intersection.
The western Cornhusker segment would also be a bigger road. Kleffner told KETV that 72nd to 84th will be "only a three-lane," while "the section from 84th to 96th, that will be a four/five lane." Add up the construction lines in the table and you get $36 million for the two Cornhusker segments and $51 million for the three 84th Street segments.
The later years are less certain than the early ones. At the Planning Commission hearing, commissioner Carson asked whether the federal government had approved the Portal and Cornhusker work for years two and three. Goff spoke to the current 72nd to 84th project and said the 84th to 96th section was still subject to change. He offered to check the approval details with Kleffner. Carson then raised 84th Street itself. He noted its deteriorating pavement and the repeated repairs, and asked why it hadn't been addressed sooner, given how recently residential streets, including his own, had been repaved.
The Near-Term Work Is Elsewhere In Town
The proposed first year totals $12,814,519 in city dollars, contingent on available 2026/27 capital improvement funding. Apart from the Cornhusker right-of-way money, the 2026/27 projects are spread across other parts of the city:
- $2,856,440 for the pavement repair program
- $2,125,000 for East Lincoln Street, Washington Street to Park
- $1,599,459 for Adams Street, Jackson to the fire station
- $561,270 for construction on South Washington Street, Cedardale Road and Highland Drive
- $3,000,000 toward the 192nd Street and I-80 interchange
So for the coming year, construction crews are more likely to be working downtown and on the I-80 interchange than on Cornhusker. Along East 6th, the year-one work happens in property-rights negotiations rather than in the traffic lanes.
Two Dates On The Calendar This Month
You can still weigh in on this plan before most of it is settled, and the October calendar has two dates for doing so.
- Tuesday, October 6, 7 p.m. The City Council agenda includes a public hearing and vote on the 2026 to 2032 One- and Six-Year Road Plan. The Planning Commission recommended approval unanimously on August 26. State law requires these plans, and having one keeps the city eligible for state and federal road funding.
- Friday, October 16. This is the last day for public comments on the East 6th Street, 72nd to 84th project. The October 1 open house at Papillion Landing has already happened. Project information and the comment form are on the city's E 6th Street Improvements page.
Representatives from NDOT, the City of Papillion and the project team were at the open house to take input. That gives a sense of who will be reading comments sent through the online form. The issues neighbors raised with KMTV are the kind of detail the city is asking for: driveway access during construction for a household member with a disability, a sloped yard, and speeding concerns once the road is wider.
If you're planning a custom build, a move-up purchase or a sale anywhere near 84th and Cornhusker, it helps to know which years crews and detours are scheduled for your stretch of road. Brian Wilson and our team follow Papillion's road plan alongside the builder schedules we coordinate every day. Schedule a Call, and we'll walk through the timing for the property you have in mind.
