OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — "You did a story a couple of weeks ago...but that prompted me to kind of review some of the data and I reached out to the state," said Douglas County Engineer Todd Pfitzer about 204th and Fort.
- I spoke to Mike Sigmond and Indhu Murali, two neighbors in the Calarosa East neighborhood who have been advocating for traffic safety measures at this intersection for months.
- Pfitzer tells me that the county will install traffic signals at the intersection when the east side of Fort Street is paved next year.
- The goal is to get them installed before the start of the 2026-27 school year.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Good news for neighbors in Elkhorn as changes are finally coming to the intersection at 204th and Fort Street. I was at this location earlier this month talking with locals about their traffic concerns.
Two weeks ago, I spoke to Mike Sigmond and Indhu Murali, two neighbors in the Calarosa East neighborhood who have been advocating for traffic safety measures at this intersection for months. They're not the only ones concerned about safety at this location.
"Everybody's getting frustrated about it," Sigmond said.
Neighbors say the intersection is dangerous because of low visibility, drivers cutting long traffic lines, and cars speeding through the area.
To address those concerns, a traffic study was conducted by Douglas County in February. However, the results showed the intersection doesn't meet federal requirements for traffic control improvements.
I spoke to Douglas County Engineer Todd Pfitzer, who shared that recently, things have changed.
"You did a story a couple of weeks ago and we've been talking about this already and had had concerns from the residents, but that prompted me to kind of review some of the data and I reached out to the state," Pfitzer said.
Now, relief is coming. Pfitzer tells me that the county will install traffic signals at the intersection when the east side of Fort Street is paved next year. It's music to neighbors' ears.
"It really does show that if we get in touch with our friends at the local media, if we get in touch with our elected representatives, that we really can affect change," Sigmond said.
"Everything is going to get better. It's not just safety, it has a lot more benefits to it. So you know I am so excited about it. Thank you so much," Murali said.
Since this intersection crosses a state highway, it's a joint jurisdiction between the state and the county. The state has agreed to allow the traffic signals.
Pfitzer says the goal is to get them installed before the start of the 2026-27 school year.
