History of the Nebraska Department of Transportation

• The Nebraska Department of Roads began as the State Board of Irrigation on April 4, 1895 when Governor Silas A. Holcomb signed H. R. 443.
• In 1911, the Legislature changed the name to the State Board of Irrigation, Highways, and Drainage.
• In 1919 the name changed to the Department of Public Works, and included the Bureau of Roads and Bridges, the Bureau of Irrigation, Water Power and Drainage, and the Motor Vehicle Records Division.
• In 1933 the name changed to the Department of Roads and Irrigation, and included the Bureau of Roads and Bridges and the Bureau of Irrigation, Water Power, and Drainage.
• In 1933, the Legislature passed LB-30 creating the Nebraska Aeronautics Act, which facilitated the creation of the Nebraska Aeronautics Commission consisting of five members appointed by the Governor.
• In 1937, the Legislature created the Division of Highway Safety and Patrol and it became part of the Department of Roads and Irrigation.
• In 1945, the Legislature repealed 1935 the Nebraska Aeronautics Act and introduced LB-282, which created the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics
• In 1957, the Legislature divided the Department of Roads and Irrigation into three separate state agencies: Department of Roads, Department of Motor Vehicles, and Department of Water Resources.
• In 1971, The Office of Highway Safety was transferred from the Office of Planning and Programming at the Department of Roads to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
• In 1981, the Legislature changed the name of Division of Highway Safety and Patrol to the Nebraska State Patrol and made it a separate state agency.
• In 2009, the Legislature transferred the Office of Highway Safety from the Department of Motor Vehicles to the Department of Roads.
• In 2017, the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics merged with the Nebraska Department of Roads to form the Nebraska Department of Transportation. Aeronautics will become a division within NDOT.

Other Resources:

• A History of the Principal Executives of the Nebraska State Highway Department (Revised June 2023)
• A Story of Highway Development in Nebraska (Revised 1997)
  • Continuing the Story 1997-2006
• Nebraska Historic Bridge Survey (May 2007)
• Nebraska Historic Highway Survey (August 2002)
• Nebraska Interstate Highway 80, Omaha - Lincoln (August 11, 1961)
• Road Laws of Nebraska (January 1, 1898)
• Crisis on the Highways (September/October 1948)
• Taking the High Road, by Christina Slattery and Steve Jacobitz (September/October 2004)
• History of the Interstate in Nebraska (June 2006)
• NDOT Memoriam

For other historical information including photos and videos, visit memories.ne.gov