Working Together
Information on the Public Participation Process

When Does It Begin
Get Involved
Stay Involved
Project Manager
Survival Strategies
The Business Association

Working Together...How Your Business Can Survive
and Thrive During Roadway Reconstruction

Public Participation Opportunities
(Info about public input/involvement with the Nebraska Department of Roads)

When Does It Begin?

All highway construction and reconstruction consists of two phases: the design phase and the construction phase.

Many projects have a design phase of five or more years. Public hearings on any proposed construction are required by law and are held during the design phase. Each NDOR District Engineer is responsible for coordinating the state’s efforts and acts as the public liaison for projects in their district.

Get Involved

When a construction project is planned close to home — your business — getting involved early is the surest road to surviving it. This brochure has been designed to provide you with vital information and survival strategies that can help you and your business community cope during road reconstruction.

When construction hits, it can hit hard. But the arrival of the earth movers, roadblocks and detour signs aren’t there to signal the end of your business.

The first thing to remember is, it’s temporary. The second is, get involved. There are steps you can take that will make a difference.

Stay involved!

By attending public meetings and contacting the District Engineer you can ask questions, express your concerns and make suggestions about important design decisions. And you’ll be better informed regarding the impact the project might have in your situation. Exercise your right to know:

• the scope and design of the project

• what to expect

• the key contacts

• start up and completion dates

By the time the construction crew rolls on site most design decisions have been made.

The Project Manager

Knowing who’s who in your highway district will put you in touch with the people who can answer your questions and address special situations. The Project Manager reports on-site daily and deals with the construction workers and the public. If a problem arises, the Project Manager is the person best equipped to resolve the issue.

Call or e-mail your district office and find out the Project Manager for your site, the field office location and local number. And stay in touch. The Project Manager can work with individual requests concerning day-to-day operations.

You can have input on such issues as access to business sites, parking and construction scheduling. The Project Manager can notify you well in advance of power or water shutoff dates so that you can plan accordingly.

Survival Strategies -- Things To Do Now

Organize!

Realize the importance of getting involved early, attending public meetings and contacting your Project Manager are strategies that will keep you ahead of and prepared for the construction.

There are various creative survival tactics that business communities have devised and employed successfully to keep their businesses solvent.

• Get the word out. Develop ads for newspaper, radio or television. Start a campaign, give your association a name or logo and use it throughout the construction period.

• Run special promotions, have a flea market, cookout, block party, parade or grand finale days. Use bumper stickers, signs, hardhats or other advertising specialties.

• Hook up a construction hotline or appoint a construction liaison from your association to stay informed. Hold weekly construction meetings. Keep signs posted — detour routes, maps, business hours or delivery services.

• Contact other business communities and find out what they did. Gear up, prepare and communicate with state, local and business officials.

The Business Association

Forming a business association can help you and your community in several ways. It provides an information and support network for business owners to come together to share their problems and concerns and discover that they are not alone — that other businesses face a similar set of issues. It is an opportunity to brainstorm and develop strategies that can work within the construction circumstances your local highway project presents. It is a chance to pool resources and coordinate the effort to let the public know you are open for business.

When it comes to the season of road construction, active involvement and communication with your business community and NDOR officials is your most powerful strategy and the surest route to surviving and thriving through roadway reconstruction.