ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) — Parents express concerns over increased traffic and safety issues during partial closure of Elkhorn Drive, blocking the exit onto W. Maple Rd.
- Elkhorn Drive will be closed for three weeks for sewer installation.
- The closure will impact school pick-up and drop-off.
- Parents are concerned about the increased traffic and safety issues.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Happy first week to several of our Omaha metro school districts. In Elkhorn, it's students first day too. Outside Elkhorn Middle School cars are seen lining up for after school pickup, but with nearby construction parents tell us these neighborhood roads are more congested then usual.
Amanda Hansen, like many parents is eager to get her kids back to school. But with a daughter in 7th grade, driving her and her other siblings to and fro can be time consuming.
"I mean, it was blocks and blocks of cars having to go through the residential area which it's an older residential area. There's not a lot of sidewalks so there was a lot more traffic and it was kind of dangerous."
For the first week and a half, she realized she'll have to arrive 10 minutes early because of construction on Elkhorn Drive - the route she typically would take.
"It doesn't seem like a lot but it just doesn't seem safe with all the cars funneling through the neighborhood when there's that access road that's not being used."
Construction on Elkhorn Drive started July 31st, closing the road from W. Maple Rd. to Emmet St. for sewer installation.
The city tells us the work being done is for the nearby apartment complex.
"The worst part I think that gets me is that a lot of the displaced people from the tornadoes are living in those apartments that are right there and I don't know how they're getting anywhere conveniently."
While the construction is less than half a mile of road, parents like Amanda argue that it's blocking an essential exit onto W. Maple, meaning all traffic will have to weave through the nearby neighborhood or exit on 204th to get out of the area.
"We're just gonna have to plan leave earlier figure it out."
Omaha Public Works says construction will last until next week.
