How much will the Heartland Expressway cost?
The Heartland Expressway is a true BARGAIN. The cost of physically building the Heartland Expressway is likely far less than the existing opportunity costs associated with lost trade and commerce. It has been estimated that the Interstate Highway System has created $6 in economic productivity for each dollar that was invested in it.2 The physical development of the Heartland Expressway is also a bargain when compared to other transportation projects in Nebraska and the United States. Although the Heartland Expressway is a bargain, it can not be called an inexpensive project. The cost to complete the final 349 miles of the approximately 498-mile Heartland Expressway is estimated at $664 million in todays dollars.3 It is important to put the cost of the Heartland Expressway into perspective, though. For example, the 44 MILE segment between Minatare, NE and Alliance, NE is estimated to cost $87 million. The proposed 21-CITY BLOCK elevated expressway on West Dodge Road in Omaha is also est
