It will now take less time to fully complete Lincoln’s South Beltway project.

“We are going to be completing the Lincoln South Beltway in three years,” said Governor Pete Ricketts during a news conference Monday morning inside the Governor’s hearing room at the State Capitol.

With a shorter time frame in mind, the Beltway project will be done in one phase, instead of five, which could save up to $25-million.

“It means we can keep the commitments to the rest of the program, ” said Nebraska Department of Transportation director Kyle Schneweis.  That means the NDOT that 10,000 miles of roads and 3,500 miles of bridges they take care of can be continued to be maintained while working on this beltway project.

Mayor Chris Beutler says this move means saving considerable money and time on the project.

“That means we can all be driving on the beltway sooner,” the Mayor said.

The South Beltway is a planned 4-lane expressway south of Lincoln, near Saltillo Road, which will link Highway 77 and Highway 2 to divert truck traffic around Lincoln.