BLAIR, NEBRASKA (2025 August 28, Thursday)
Don Harrold, Writer / Editor
editor@blairtoday.com – Facebook
There are two topics I hear people talk about most: The “Blair Bypass” and the “Von Loh Development(s)”. I too want to know what is going on with both of these issues. The city’s current state and future prospects are aligned with – and intertwined with – both.
Today, I sat down with Blair’s Director of Public Works, CJ Heaton, to discuss the bypass. Before I explain what I learned, you need to know that whatever your opinion – whether you like it, don’t, love it, or hate it – CJ Heaton was not a part of the planning or implementation.
He is, though, the current Director of Public Works. As such, he hears it from all of us on a regular basis – namely the opinions people have. I mentioned to CJ that I bet he wished he had a time machine, and he smiled and said there were “a lot” of things he would do differently if a time machine was available.
Yet – and this is important – YET, here we are. The bypass is a thing. When you think of it, keep in mind the person AT THE HELM is not the person who BUILT THE BOAT.
KMTV ran a story that included comments from CJ about the complaints business owners have about the continued truck traffic on main street. That story used – and this is not a joke – less than 10 seconds of CJ’s remarks. When I asked CJ about that he said he was “surprised” at how little they took from his 20 minutes on camera.
KMTV reported that the city of Blair was working with the state to designate the bypass as “the highway system through Blair.” While true, there is something more important you need to realize the story did not mention: It’s not just about designating the bypass “the highway system,” it is also, and more critically, allowing Blair to designate Washington Street (“Main Street”) a city-controlled road. It is only under that circumstance that Blair can effectively route traffic away from downtown.
When I asked CJ when that would happen, he said, “I am working with the Department of Transportation on the request; as of now, no official response has been returned. If we fail to get a response from the staff at NDOT, I would then work with our locally elected officials to possibly pressure or state representatives to help with the change. I try to stay out of the political fray as much as I can and focus on the work that needs to be done.”
We talked about the future “north bypass,” that we are told will finally be the thing that solves this problem. CJ’s answer to that question was insightful – even if not specific on the timing. CJ said that no matter when it happened, there would be people who would wonder “what (we) were thinking” now, in the planning stages.
Which, to come full circle, is what some of us said before the first shovel of dirt lifted off the ground to create the current bypass.
CJ added, that hopefully the city will learn lessons from the current situation before the next bypass begins construction.
The only way those lessons can truly be expressed, though, will be how you vote in the next election. If you don’t like what you have now, I suggest you find someone who will do better, and vote for them next year.
