East of North 98th Street, the land drops toward a wooded drainage below the Waterford Lake dam. On the far side of the lake, homes along Shoreline Drive and Waterside Way back up to the water. That stretch is where Lincoln's proposed Waterford Trail would go. It is also the stretch residents have spent most of 2026 arguing about.
The city said the project drawing and fact sheet would go up on its trails page beginning Oct. 21. The official comment period runs through Nov. 20, 2026. Before you send a note, it helps to know where the line on the map comes from. The dam's emergency spillway, nearby wetlands and the steep ground around them account for most of it. The same features are behind the cost questions that took up the Oct. 5 City Council hearing.
The corridor is old. The line inside it keeps moving.
JJ Yost, assistant director of Lincoln Parks and Recreation, told the council that this trail corridor has been in city plans for years. He also said the exact path within it changed as engineers learned more about the site. KLIN reported that Yost named three things shaping the route: topography, wetlands, and requirements tied to the dam's emergency spillway.
The length on paper has moved along with the route. A city presentation to the Waterford Lake Association on May 11, 2026 described a 2.9-mile trail, with 2.1 miles of new construction and 0.8 miles already built by earlier development. The city's current project description gives about 2.57 miles. The schedule has moved too. In February, the Lincoln Journal Star reported construction was supposed to happen in 2027. The city now lists 2028 as the tentative construction year, with the project still in preliminary design.
Following the proposed line from 84th Street to Holdrege
Here is the route as the city describes it, west to east. The fourth and fifth stops, the 98th Street crossing and the shoreline section, are where the dam comes into play.
- North 84th Street and College Park Road. The trail starts at the southeast corner and connects to the existing 84th Street Trail.
- College Park Road to Southeast Community College. It heads east along College Park Road, then runs north along the west side of the SCC campus for about 0.20 miles to the northwest corner of the north parking lot.
- Through campus. It turns east and south through the developed part of campus, then curves southeast beside a wooded drainage area.
- North 98th Street. It crosses 98th by Lincoln Fire and Rescue Station #16, which sits at 9765 Boathouse Road.
- Boathouse Road and Shore Front Drive. The trail follows both streets to North 104th Street, then turns north between Waterford Lake and the single-family homes on Waterside Way and North 104th.
- Shoreline Drive to Holdrege. After crossing Shoreline Drive, it follows North 104th north to Holdrege Street. That's where a future Stevens Creek Trail connection is planned.
The trail itself would be 10 feet wide and 5 inches thick, made of concrete with earth shoulders. Its total cost is estimated at $3 million, covering design, inspection, extra right-of-way and construction. Federal transportation funds would pay 80% and local funds the other 20%. The May presentation says the local share comes from impact fees.
What the dam adds to the bill
The terrain that set the route is also running up the engineering costs. On Oct. 5, the council took up Supplement No. 4 to the city's preliminary engineering agreement with Schemmer Associates. Meeting minutes show residents testifying that recent engineering documents found more utility relocation than expected, sanitary sewer conflicts, and extra work below the Waterford Lake Dam. According to that testimony, the supplemental work adds about $113,000 and pushes the consultant agreement past $600,000. The amount originally set aside was $348,000.
Residents who spoke offered an alternative: a route along 98th Street, then Holdrege, then 104th Street. They asked the city to compare the two routes on utilities, sewer work, grading, erosion control, right-of-way, construction access, safety, maintenance and total cost. KLIN's report listed their concerns as trespassing, children's safety, maintenance, and the cost of building through difficult terrain. In the February coverage, the Journal Star reported that some Waterford Estates residents wanted a reroute so the trail wouldn't separate their homes from their private boat docks.
The city has given reasons for its alignment. In that same Journal Star story, officials said the route was "intentionally planned to minimize conflicts between trail users and vehicles." They also said the trail is "not expected to become a high-volume regional corridor." A route along 98th Street would put trail users next to that traffic. The minutes also record a concern about the proposed crossing at 98th Street and Boathouse Road, citing traffic volume and future development.
Both sides agreed on one point at the hearing. Testimony asked the city to build the segment from Southeast Community College to 98th Street first, because people already walk the shoulder of high-speed Oak Street. The people who spoke said they weren't asking the city to cancel the trail. They wanted answers before more money goes toward one specific alignment.
The Oct. 5 vote bought more design time
The council approved the supplement 7-0. According to KLIN, the vote paid for more public engagement and design work and did not approve a final route. Council Chair Brodey Weber put it this way:
"I think a vote yes does not by any means preclude the city from evaluating alternative routes, from evaluating alternative corridors."
The same report said design was about 35% complete and still needed approval from the Federal Highway Administration. Neighborhood and landowner meetings were expected to begin in October, with feedback gathered over the following several months. Council members also said engagement should reach affected residents as well as homeowners association representatives. Testimony at the hearing had asked how individual households would be heard alongside SCC and HOA leadership.
What you can ride today, and what's still on paper
The Waterford Trail is meant to link trails on either side of it, some built and some not. Here's where each one stands.
| Trail | Status | What it connects |
|---|---|---|
| 84th Street Trail | Open, paved, 7 miles | Runs from Mahoney Park south to the Antelope Creek Trail; connects to the Murdock, MoPac and Antelope Creek trails |
| MoPac East | Open, crushed limestone, 21.8 miles | Starts at 84th Street and runs through Walton, Eagle and Elmwood to near Wabash |
| Waterford Trail | Proposed; construction tentatively 2028 | 84th & College Park Road to 104th & Holdrege; about 0.8 miles already built |
| Stevens Creek Trail | Listed in the 2050 long-range plan; no construction date | Planned segments from Murdock to Waterford and from Waterford to MoPac |
The Great Plains Trails Network lists SCC as a point of interest on the 84th Street Trail. The Lower Platte South NRD says the MoPac East route joins Lincoln near 84th and O Streets. Lincoln's 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan, adopted in December 2021, names the Stevens Creek segments but sets no dates for them. That leaves the Holdrege end of the Waterford Trail waiting on a connection with no schedule yet.
If you're heading to campus to look at the western end of the route, Course is back on its lunch schedule after a closure that ran Oct. 12 through Oct. 20. It's the restaurant inside SCC's Great Plains Culinary Institute. This fall it serves Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., walk-in, through Dec. 3, and reservation questions go to 402-437-2727. The city also notes that parts of the 84th Street Commuter Trail and the existing Waterford segments could be temporarily restricted once construction starts, while crews tie in the new trail.
Getting a comment in before Nov. 20
The city's project page asks for comments by email or mail, sent to either of two contacts.
- Alex Duryea, City of Lincoln Parks and Recreation, 3131 O Street, Suite 300, Lincoln, NE 68510. Email [email protected] or call 402-441-1652.
- Alex Roth, design engineer, The Schemmer Associates, 333 South 21st Street, Suite 102, Lincoln. Email [email protected] or call 402-431-6364.
The city says the project may need extra right-of-way, permanent easements or temporary easements. Property owners along the route will be contacted once the design footprint is set. That part is general information and not legal advice. If you think your lot is involved, check your own situation with a real estate attorney.
I've lived in the Lincoln area my whole life, and the decisions that shape a neighborhood for decades tend to get made in comment windows like this one. If you live near Waterford or the SCC campus and want to talk through how a trail plan like this tends to play out for your street, I'd be glad to chat. Let's Connect with Miranda Watson.
