Drivers in west Omaha have already called the traffic tie-ups due to construction near Millard North - a headache.
Today - a whole new mess - caused by torrential rain and mud from Tuesday's rainfall.
Silt and dirt poured into the road, forcing Omaha Police to close the intersection for about 90 minutes.
That stretch of road is the site of Noddle Companies' multi-million dollar West Farm development. The area will become office space, apartments, townhouses, retail and more.
"Two inches in 18 minutes is just enough to overwhelm that system and at that point the contractor gets in place to handle the cleanup," said Jim Theiler, assistant director of Omaha Public Works.
Be careful if traveling NB on 144th between Pacific and Dodge. Rain water pooling up in low spot. OPD & crew nearby to watch the area @3NewsNowOmaha pic.twitter.com/gzRG95E1AJ
— Shawnte Passmore (@ShawntePassmore) May 22, 2018
Omaha Public Works says engineers had measures in place at the construction site to prevent dirt and water overflow, including silt fences and sediment basins, which are like dams to stop overflow. But those precautions were no match for Mother Nature's strength.
"We do have measures to prevent the silt and dirt that is draining from getting into the system and those were all in place," said Todd Pfitzer, city engineer. "luckily, we were able to go in and get things cleaned up before it gets in some creek or storm drain system. We could just scoop it back up."
The road was closed for about 90 minutes for cleanup. City officials also say they're not aware of any drivers getting stuck in the flooded roadway.
