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Kearney leaders approve annual payment to Archway monument

archway-monumentKEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — The Kearney City Council has approved a measure that will see The Archway get an annual payment of $225,000.

The City Council voted Tuesday to approve the payment. The vote will see the city contribute $75,000 annually to the monument. That award is contingent upon the Kearney Area Visitor’s Bureau contributing $150,000 annually, which the group plans to do.

The Archway, which spans Interstate 80 at Kearney, features exhibits commemorating the Oregon, Mormon and California pioneer trails and the nation’s highway systems and railroads. It struggled after its opening in 2001 and was forced into bankruptcy in 2013 following years of disappointing attendance.

However, attendance has exceeded expectations in recent years. About 1.5 million visitors have passed through The Archway since it opened.

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