With the Cornhuskers’ opener against Ohio just days away, Nebraska fans will have a harder time navigating downtown Lincoln throughout this season due to construction and maintenance projects on city roads.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Lincoln Transportation and Utilities planned for 16 different street projects this year, spanning 21 lane miles, in addition to curb and sidewalks replacements throughout the city.
The current O Street construction extends from 11th to 16th streets, blocking thoroughfare from 13th to 16th, and extending work onto parts of 14th street. The project will reach 9th street before its end next year, and will continue extending that direction throughout the fall.
The 10th Street project will allow thoroughfare but close certain sidewalks and crosswalks along streets K through Q. When reached by The Plains Sentinel, the city of Lincoln confirmed that Husker and visiting fans can expect lengthier delays than usual on game days.
“We do recommend Husker fans plan their routes into Lincoln and where they will park,” said Erika Hill, communications and public affairs manager. “We also recommend travelers giving themselves plenty of travel time for their trip into Lincoln due to high amounts of traffic and project improvements going on in the area.”
Frustration with the ongoing projects boiled over online when Lincoln radio personality Jake Sorenson took to Twitter Wednesday morning to share a video of the ongoing work on 14th and O streets.
“Prepare yourself, fans who haven’t been to town in awhile—there is no “normal” route to Memorial Stadium,” he said.
Several respondents blamed the mayor for extended construction, while one commentator joked that the Huskers were likely to get an elusive ranked win before construction was finished.
For those planning to see the Huskers in their September 5 opener, the city will be sharing recommended routes and additional information in a joint September 2 press conference with Nebraska State Patrol and the Nebraska Department of Transportation.
And for those planning to shuttle to the game, 2026 will mark an even larger change, as for the first time since the early 1980s, the Big Red Express will not be rolling through downtown Lincoln. Despite the impending addition of a new $33 million multi-modal transport center to enhance public transportation in Lincoln, StarTran’s iconic game day shuttle service has seen its final football season.
The California-based transportation company iPronto will assume shuttle service duties for Husker game days, and while current Big Red Express passholders will receive full refunds, the days of the $15 roundtrip are over, with new rates totaling $25-30 for a Lincoln roundtrip and $59-89 for the surrounding cities.
“Federal charter service regulations prohibit federally funded public transit agencies from competing with private charter companies,” said Hill. “This is the first year a private company has chosen to offer the shuttle service in Lincoln.”
The change also means fans will need to make a direct reservation with iPronto in order to shuttle to the stadium, though routes will remain the same with service to and from Lincoln Northwest and Lincoln North Star High Schools as well as the Southpointe and Gateway Malls.
With seven home games in the 2026 season and much-changed routes and services throughout Lincoln — and two Saturdays where the Huskers will host both football and volleyball opponents — Lincoln traffic could be a substantial fall headache for Cornhusker faithful.
— Lewis Thune is a writing fellow with The Plains Sentinel.