Dundee's on-again, off-again traffic signal is back on.
Omaha's Public Works Department restored the traffic light at late last week. It had been turned off and replaced with four-way stop signs since Aug. 19, when the city began a two-month study measuring the impact of removing signals at 10 locations across the city.
Most of the removals were uncontroversial, but the one at 50th and Underwood caused fireworks in the community.
Those were reflected in the 236 comments submitted to Public Works as part of the study process, which ran about 3-1 against removing the light.
"I'm a huge fan of the 4-way stop at 50th/Underwood!" wrote one supporter of the change. "I own a home nearby, and I regularly walk to Underwood for errands or coffee and feel so much safer with this change. It seems to really make drivers pay better attention to what's going on in the intersection."
Opponents said many drivers were confused when confronted with the new four-way stop. Others noted long backups at rush hours, especially on eastbound Underwood.
"This intersection is NOT a good candidate for a 4 way stop," wrote one commenter. "It is both inefficient and unsafe, and it's clogging up an area that is normally used by pedestrians. Please don't do this."
Another wrote: "This is beyond nuts. This intersection is busy all ways, all day. Hope you get sued."
After watching hours of video recorded at the intersection in addition to in-person observations, city traffic engineers recommended restoring the traffic light as well as the intersection's "No Left Turn" signs.
They noted that the four-way stop did confuse some drivers, and some drivers at peak traffic hours didn't wait their turn. And while queues were typically short northbound, westbound and southbound, they saw long lines on the eastbound. From 3:15 to 5:45 p.m., they said, lines often extended all the way to 51st Street — the full length of Dundee's commercial block.
"The overall operation of the intersection has not improved, and the increase in driver confusion caused some safety concerns," the report concluded.
The study is part of a 12-year master plan to modernize and upgrade the city's network of 1,000 traffic signals.
To secure federal funding, all traffic signals need to meet standards covering vehicle and pedestrian volumes, wait time, gaps in traffic, and crashes, Jeff Riesselman, Omaha's head traffic engineer, told The World-Herald in August.
In previous years, 36 signals were removed after similar studies.
Only one of the nine other traffic signals in the city's latest study prompted much public comment. Eighty-four people weighed in on the removal of the signal on South 168th Street at Harney Street, at the entrance to the Pacific Springs community and golf course.
Most opposed pulling out the light.
"Removal of this light makes absolutely no sense," one resident wrote. "It is impossible to turn left on 168th many times during the day, and during the winter will be very dangerous as cars on 168th drive very fast. Please stop the study and make this light active."
City traffic engineers who watched video and visited the site said they saw no pedestrians using the intersection, and no queues on Harney longer than three cars. The city accepted their recommendation to remove the signal.
City officials decided to continue the study of one signal, at near Charles Schwab Field, for a few weeks longer. They saw no problems at the intersection, but they wanted to observe it during early-season Creighton basketball games at nearby CHI Health Center.
All the other intersections will lose their signals permanently. They are:
Florence Boulevard and Clark Street.Florence Boulevard and Spencer Street.South 132nd Street and Sky Park Drive.North 30th Street and Webster Plaza.New road construction projects in Nebraska and western Iowa
Nighttime lane closures are planned at the Interstate 80/Interstate 680 interchange, including the ramps to I, L and Q Streets, for joint and crack sealing through Nov. 26.West Center Road at South 124th Street is restricted to one lane westbound because of fiber-optic installation until Thursday.Harrison Street between South 107th and South 108th Streets will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work because of a water-main break in the inside lane until Nov. 24.South 38th Street and South 38th Avenue between Harney and Farnam Streets will be closed for utility work related to Omaha's new streetcar line until Nov. 28.South 20th Street between Harney Street and St. Mary's Avenue will be restricted to one lane southbound to allow the repair of two fire hydrants until Tuesday.North 132nd Street at California Street will be restricted to one lane northbound for street repair in the outside curb lane until Monday.F Street at South 36th Street is closed westbound because of work to replace a water-service line until Wednesday.North 10th Street at Cuming Street will be restricted to one lane southbound for utility work related to a water-main break in the outside curb lane until Friday.intersection of North 20th and Ohio Streets will have varying lane restrictions for utility work until Nov. 26.Jackson Street between South 29th and South 30th Streets just west of I-480 will have varying lane restrictions for brick street repair until Dec. 13.Eastbound traffic on Leavenworth Street between South 54th and South 59th Streets will be shifted to the center lane for utility work until Dec. 1.Varying lane closures are in place on North 30th Street between King and Whitmore Streets for utility work until Tuesday.North 204th Street at Blondo Parkway will be restricted to one lane northbound in the outside curb lane for ADA curb ramp construction until Monday. Westbound traffic on
Burt Street between North 21st Plaza and North 23rd Street will be shifted to the center lane for utility work until Thursday. A lane is closed intermittently on northbound
Interstate 29 between Interstate 680 and Interstate 880 in Iowa until 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Road construction projects in Omaha
Northwest (north of West Dodge Road and west of I-680)
Overnight and weekend lane and ramp closures can be expected on the West Dodge Expressway between 168th Street and Skyline Drive for bridge repairs and drainage improvements through spring 2025. is being rebuilt as a diverging diamond interchange. Periodic lane closures and some overnight ramp closures can be expected through the end of 2024.F Street between 204th and 207th Streets is closed for road construction until late fall.F Street between 202nd and 204th Streets will be closed for road construction until Dec. 31.Mount Michael Road between North 216th Street and Elkhorn Mount Michael High School is closed for road construction until late fall.State Street from Kilpatrick Parkway to HWS Cleveland Boulevard, and 168th Street from Rachel Snowden Parkway to Reynolds Street are closed for grading, paving and reconstruction of the until December 2024.The left lane is closed on Nebraska Highway 133/Blair High Road between Potter and McKinley Streets for road construction. No completion date is listed.North 132nd Street between West Dodge Road and Blondo Street will have varying lane restrictions for utility adjustments until Tuesday.North 120th Street between State Street and Rainwood Road will be closed for road construction until December.Northeast (north of Dodge Street and east of I-680)
North 72nd Street between Military Avenue and approximately 400 feet north of Ames Avenue (Home Depot entrance) will have varying lane restrictions for street panel replacement until Nov. 29.North 72nd Street between Bedford Avenue and Maple Street will be restricted to one lane in each direction due to repairs after a water-main break in the southbound lanes until Dec. 19. intersection of Fort Street and Templeton Drive will have varying lane restrictions because of trail work until Monday.The eastbound lane of Maple Street between 68th and 70th Streets is closed because of CSO sanitary sewer construction until Nov. 25.The eastbound curb lane is closed on Dodge Street between 46th and 48th Streets because of construction on an adjacent property until Aug. 11, 2025.The eastbound curb lane is closed on Dodge Street from 46th Street to the Saddle Creek Road exit ramp because of construction on an adjacent property until Dec. 31.Cuming Street between North 45th and North 43rd Streets will have varying lane restrictions for utility work until Nov. 24.McKinley Street between North 44th and North 45th Streets will be restricted to one lane westbound for utility work in the outside curb lane until Friday.Lane restrictions are in place westbound on California Street at North 41st Street for utility repair until Tuesday.North 40th Street between Pinkney and Pratt Streets is closed for utility work until Nov. 30. Pratt Street between North 40th Street and North 40th Avenue will have lane restrictions westbound because of water-main repair until Nov. 25.King Street between North 36th Street and North Ridge Drive will be closed for construction of a CSO sanitary sewer separation project until Dec. 3.North 34th Street between Craig Avenue and King Street will be closed for a CSO sanitary sewer separation project until Dec. 11.intersection of Forest Lawn Avenue and North Ridge Drive will be closed as part of a CSO sanitary sewer separation project until Nov. 27.Burdette Street between North 28th and North 29th Streets is closed because of utility work until Nov. 29.Florence Boulevard between Read Street and Sharon Drive is closed for CSO sanitary sewer separation improvements until Dec. 31.North 25th Street between Hamilton and Franklin Streets will have varying lane restrictions for street construction until Tuesday.Burdette Street between North 24th and North 25th Streets will be closed to through traffic for sewer installation until Nov. 26. North 25th Street between Patrick Avenue and Burdette Street,Patrick Avenue between North 24th and North 25th Streets will be closed until Nov. 26 as part of the same project.North 20th Street between Burt and Cuming Streets will have lane restrictions northbound for public improvements until Dec. 31.The intersection of North 18th Street and Willis Avenue will be closed for construction of a CSO sanitary sewer separation project until Nov. 25.intersection of Florence Boulevard and Lake Street will be closed for construction of a CSO sanitary sewer separation project until Nov. 27.North 18th Street between Lake and Ohio Streets will be closed for construction of a CSO sanitary sewer separation project until Dec. 6. Lake Street between North 16th Street and Florence Boulevard will be closed for CSO sanitary sewer separation improvements until Dec. 6.North 16th Street will have periodic lane closures between Pinkney and Clark Streets for CSO sewer separation improvements through Dec. 15.Cuming Street between North 15th and North 17th Streets will be restricted to one lane in each direction because of utility work until Dec. 2.Abbott Drive between Carter Boulevard and Pratt Court near Eppley Airfield will be restricted to one lane northbound because of an airport expansion project in the outside curb lane until Dec. 16.Southwest (south of West Dodge Road and west of I-680/80)
Shoulders are closed, speed limits are reduced and occasional lane closures may occur on Interstate 80 from the Platte River to near the Nebraska Highway 50/South 144th Street exit to allow for construction of a cable median barrier through late fall.Overnight lane closures (7 p.m. to 5 a.m.) can be expected on South 204th Street/U.S. Highway 6/Nebraska Highway 31 from Harrison Street to West Dodge Road for concrete and bridge repair and joint sealing until Nov. 28.South 168th Street between Q Street and West Center Road will have lane restrictions for street widening until December 2024.F Street between South 150th Plaza and South 156th Street will be closed for street improvements until Nov. 28.Varying lane restrictions can be expected on Nebraska Highway 50/South 144th Street/Millard Avenue from L Street to Nebraska Highway 370 through July 31, 2025.West Center Road at South 124th Street will be restricted to one lane westbound for fiber-optic installation in the outside curb lane until Friday.Q Street between Magnolia and South 122nd Streets is restricted to one lane eastbound because of wall repair until Nov. 25. Southeast (south of West Dodge Road and east of I-680/80)
Nighttime lane and bridge closures are occurring on I-80 between the 60th Street and 24th Street exits to allow for bridge repairs and resurfacing of the roadway until Nov. 30.Nighttime lane and ramp closures will occur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Interstate 80 between the 24th Street exit and the Missouri River so workers can seal joints and repaint stripes until late fall.Pierce Street between South 63rd Street and South 64th Avenue will be closed because of CSO sanitary sewer separation construction until Nov. 30.South 48th Street between Weir and Harrison Streets will be closed for street improvements until Nov. 30.The eastbound curb lane on Dodge Street will be closed between for construction through Dec. 31.Varying lane restrictions are in place at the intersection of Saddle Creek Road and Leavenworth Street because of utility work and intersection improvements until Dec. 13.South 42nd Street between Marinda Street and Interstate 80 is restricted to one southbound lane because of fiber-optic installation until Tuesday.Farnam Street between 40th and 38th Streets is closed to traffic and parking, with traffic rerouted to Harney Street, for the installation of a new gas main in connection with the construction of Omaha's new streetcar line until Dec. 31. Eastbound traffic on Farnam between South 38th Street and South 38th Avenue is rerouted to the center lane as part of the same project until Nov. 30.Farnam Street between South 38th Avenue and South 37th Street is restricted to one lane in each direction for utility work connected to the streetcar project until Nov. 25.South 37th Street between Farnam and Harney is closed and Harney between South 38th Avenue and South 37th Streets restricted to one lane in each direction until Nov. 25 as part of the same project.Eastbound traffic on Farnam Street between South 37th and South 33rd Streets will be shifted to the center lane for utility work to accommodate the new streetcar line until Nov. 25.Harney Street at South 35th Street will have lane restrictions eastbound for utility work because of a water-main break until Monday.South 36th Street between X and W Streets will have varying lane restrictions for utility work until Dec. 5.intersection of South 33rd and Farnam Streets will have varying lane restrictions for utility work related to the construction of Omaha's streetcar line until Nov. 28.South 28th Street between Dewey Avenue and Farnam Street will have varying lane restrictions for utility work related to construction of Omaha's new streetcar until Nov. 25. The intersection of South 28th and Farnam Streets will have varying lane restrictions as part of the same project until Dec. 4.intersection of South 24th and Martha Streets will have varying lane restrictions for utility work until Nov. 26.South 20th Street at Atwood Avenue will have lane restrictions northbound for utility work until Thursday.South 20th Street at Dorcas Street will have lane restrictions southbound for utility repair until Friday.South 20th Street between Farnam and Harney Streets will have varying lane restrictions for utility work connected with a water-main break until Monday. Farnam between 19th and 20th Streets will be restricted to two lanes westbound as part of the same project until Monday.South 19th Street between Leavenworth and Jackson Streets will have lane restrictions northbound because of utility work until Friday. Leavenworth at South 19th Street will have eastbound lane restrictions until Friday as part of the same project.Douglas Street at South 19th Street will have lane restrictions eastbound due to utility work related to construction of the new streetcar line until Tuesday.Harney Street between South 13th and South 14th Streets will be restricted to one lane eastbound for utility work related to the construction of Omaha's new streetcar until Dec. 6.South 17th Street south of Jackson Street in front of the Douglas County Department of Corrections facility is closed because of construction of a building addition until Sept. 3, 2026.South 15th Street between Leavenworth and Marcy Streets will be closed to through traffic for street repair until Wednesday.South 14th Street is closed between Farnam and Douglas Streets, and curbside lanes are closed on Farnam, Douglas and South 15th Street because of construction of the new Mutual of Omaha tower until early 2026.The southbound outside lane is restricted on South 13th Street between William and Pine Streets because of road construction until March 31. South 13th Street between Mid City Avenue and I Street will be restricted to one lane southbound because of utility work until Nov. 26.intersection of South 10th and Farnam Streets will have varying lane restrictions for utility work related to the construction of Omaha's streetcar line until Monday.Road construction projects in Sarpy & Cass Counties
Nighttime lane and ramp closures (7 p.m. to 6 a.m.) can be expected on U.S. Highway 75/Kennedy Freeway from the Douglas County line to north of the U.S. Highway 34 interchange for bridge and ramp repairs until spring 2025.The shoulder is closed and speed is reduced to 65 mph on I-80 between the Nebraska Highway 50/144th Street exit and the Platte River because of installation of a cable median barrier through the fall.Road construction projects around Nebraska
Intermittent lane closures can be expected on Interstate 80 between Exit 388 (Crete) and Exit 395 (Northwest 48th Street) west of Lincoln while the highway is widened to six lanes and the Pleasant Dale interchange is reconstructed through November.Alternating lane closures are in place on old U.S. Highway 30 at West 23rd Street/Country Road T in Fremont because of bridge repairs until Jan. 31, 2025.Intermittent lane closures using a pilot car will occur on U.S. Highway 77 between Nebraska Highway 92 at Mead to South Broad Street (1 mile south of Fremont) for asphalt work on the road and shoulder until Nov. 30.Road construction projects in Council Bluffs & Iowa
Occasional nighttime lane and ramp closures may occur on I-80 at the Madison Avenue interchange through June 2026 while the interchange is being rebuilt. Both shoulders are closed through July 1, 2025. Lane restrictions are in place on Madison Avenue between Rue Street and Woodbury Avenue as part of the same project until April 30, 2025.Avenue L between North 27th and North 28th Streets in Council Bluffs will be closed because of a storm sewer rehabilitation project until Dec. 31. Lane restrictions are in place on North 10th Street between Avenues E and F in Council Bluffs because of emergency sewer repairs until Nov. 30.Franklin Avenue between Valley View Drive and Kingsridge Drive is closed for installation of a gas main until Friday. ; twitter.com/Steve Liewer
"The overall operation of the intersection has not improved, and the increase in driver confusion caused some safety concerns."
Report on traffic-signal study, regarding 50th Street and Underwood Avenue
