Some big changes are coming to one of Omaha's busiest intersections. The Omaha city council gave the okay for a plan to take away some westbound left turn lanes at 132nd and West Center Road.
Many say the improvements will help with safety, but some say the change will hamper business. City officials say the intersection is a high accident area.
James Pracht is the manager of Dietz music. He's aware of the upcoming changes to his shopping center, and tells 6 News that the changes will improve safety as customers turn into the center. "I think a lot of times we see a lot of accidents that happen on those left turn access points. It's going to be a greater safety issue for the public in general."
Randy Lenhoff is the retired CEO of the Selden Company and represents some of the business owners in the area. He says he understands the safety issue, but said the changes could hurt business in the area. "It denies access to shoppers, and with retail today, the competitiveness of it, we're concerned about that."
The city council voted seven to nothing to move ahead with the more than $5 million project. They did agree to continue talks with concerned business owners about making possible changes to the plan, and possibly keep some westbound access open to the shopping center.