Blondo Street construction mix-up causes traffic backups near Waterloo

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Since last Friday, drivers taking a detour near Waterloo have run into a traffic nightmare. After First Alert 6 began asking questions, it appears an untimely project is on a faster track toward completion.

Blondo Street is a marked detour for traffic since West Dodge Street is under construction in western Douglas County, where crews are building a roundabout near West Shores.

But another construction project to replace pavement panels on Blondo started up, cutting the road to one lane and causing major backups.

Douglas County Engineer Todd Pfitzer says the contractor who won the bid for the new project never should have started it while Blondo was serving as a detour route.

“There should have been better communication. I’m not a hundred percent sure of what they were told when they called here. I’m still working on getting that information. But they came out and tore up a stretch of road that we wished they hadn’t,” Pfitzer said.

What comes next

Pfitzer says the county is paying for the use of quick-dry concrete. The contractor tells First Alert 6 the panels that have been torn out should be replaced by tomorrow morning, and Blondo Street should be back open to two-way traffic.

The contractor says there is blame on both sides for the miscommunication. The county engineer says he will find out what happened and make sure it does not happen again.