Drivers in West Omaha will soon see 'road closed' signs along 168th from Dodge to Maple. The original plan was to keep the road open during construction, but now they city said they will close 168th completely.
The stretch from Dodge to Maple will be widened to four lanes and the city will start working in 2018.
“It is really busy, all the time,” said resident Nick Jacobson as he was describing the traffic on 168th.
“I think it will impact a lot of people trying to get to work,” he added, “Because they won’t be able to take that main road.”
The city says the reason behind the closure is safety and crews will be able to work faster. It could also save money on the overall project.
Snow cone shack, Hoagies Hawaiian Ice, sits right off 168th and Blondo, they are worried the closure will affect business.
“A lot of people will say, ‘Oh I just drove by and then I was like I want a snow cone,’” said worker Shelby Hoffmann.
There is no doubt that 168th needs to be widened, the cars will line up for almost a mile at the Blondo light.
“There are a lot of pot holes, in the end it might be beneficial,” said resident Jack Rafter.
While it may be worth it in the end, it won’t get rid of the headache drivers will face while avoiding 168th.
“You have to go a couple miles east or west to go to Dodge,” said Jacobson.
According to the cities' website, construction will be in 2018 and go for about a year.
