Remember that sinkhole that turned Dodge Street into dodge street in 2009?
Now, the City of Omaha is trying to dodge the bill for extensive repairs to the road in front of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
The city has sued the NU Board of Regents, saying that a UNO water line burst, causing Dodge Street to buckle and the city to have to make $336,000 in repairs.
Omaha drivers remember the ordeal not for the cost but for the hassle: The city had to shut down Dodge Street for a day, then all but one lane in each direction for about three days as workers sought to locate the cause of the damage.
According to the lawsuit filed this week in Douglas County District Court:
A water line serving UNO’s campus ran under Dodge Street and connected to a Metropolitan Utilities District water main north of Dodge Street.
On March 6, 2009, UNO’s water line broke — sending water rushing under Dodge Street and destroying portions of the pavement and roadbed.
Workers had to excavate a large portion of Dodge Street and temporarily pave new lanes.
Soon after, drivers and city officials began noticing waves and bumps in the road because of settling.
The city then paid $313,000 to have the road excavated and repaired in the summer of 2009.
In the lawsuit, Deputy City Attorney Alan Thelen wrote that Dodge Street had been newly resurfaced just 1� years prior to the water line break.
The city submitted a claim to the state claims board for the $313,000 in permanent repairs and $23,000 in temporary repairs.
The state claims board denied both claims — prompting the lawsuit.
State officials could not be reached for comment Friday. The state has 30 days to respond in court.
Contact the writer: 444-1275, [email protected]
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