OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Roadwork ahead. Driving between Blackstone and Midtown will look a little different for a while. While traffic gets backed up at some points, one neighbor says he feels safer.
- MUD work on Farnam Street is shifting eastbound traffic to the center lane between 37th Street and 33rd Street for two months.
- It is for the relocation of gas lines for the street car: water lines will likely come later.
- Watch the video to hear from neighbors about the ongoing construction in the area.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"Obviously they put up a lot of cones, and there is a lot of construction, but I actually enjoy it as somebody who walks the area a lot, because it is slowing down the traffic even more," said Kyle Tut, who works and lives in the Blackstone area.
Construction is no stranger to this neighborhood.
"Heavy equipment, moving cranes in and out, that will close up lanes and things like that on a pretty regular basis too," said Todd Hansen, who has lived in the neighborhood for 15 years.
Work on the street car route is now visible in the area as MUD moves in to start work on the relocation of gas lines along Farnam St.
But to do that, eastbound traffic on Farnam between 37th and 33rd Streets shifts to the center lane.
"Traffic situations pop up pretty regularly with just all the different construction and people not quite understanding where the lane changes and ends are," Hansen said.
Kyle says with traffic slowed down, "people aren't making as like aggressive of moves, so it actually seems like it's better for them."
The change in the traffic flow will last for the next two months.
MUD will also have to relocate water lines eventually, but that has to be done separately. But why?
MUD says separate crews do the work and the lines are in separate trenches. If they did it at the same time, the entire street would have to be shut down.
While the roadwork is a change, neighbors like Kyle and Todd are curious about the future street car.
"I am interested to see how it will affect the traffic flow of people coming into the Blackstone," Hansen said.
"Working here, it opens up lunch options for me, or coffee options all of those types of things, I can get downtown quickly," Tut said.
But for now, from one neighbor to another, Kyle says, "just obviously, drive safe."
MUD tells me, weather permitting, the work is expected to start the week of March 25.
