The intersection at E. 56th St. and Antelope Ave., (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — The Buffalo County Commissioners approved an engineering study for the intersection of 56th Street and Antelope Avenue during their meeting on Tuesday, May 27.
A number of residents raised concerns about the number of traffic accidents that have occurred at the intersection over the past several years.
During the previous meeting, Sgt. Dave Gibbs presented the findings of an informal study the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office had conducted at the intersection.
The findings found on May 8 that from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., there were 275 vehicles in one hour, with 190 or 69 percent traveling on E. 56th St., and 85 or 31 percent on Antelope Ave.
Later in the day, from 2-3 p.m. there were a total of 373 vehicles in one hour. Of those, 289 or 75 percent traveled on 56th and 93 or 25 percent on Antelope Ave.
On May 12, from 6-7 a.m., there were 187 vehicles in one hour, with 132 or 71 percent on 56th and 55 or 29 percent on Antelope Ave.
Sgt. Gibbs also investigated accidents numbers from three different intersections on E. 56th St., these included the Highway 10 intersection, E. 39th St. and Antelope Ave.
At the E. 56th and Highway 10 intersection, between 2022 and 2024, there were eight accidents, six of which resulted in injuries.
At the E. 39th and Antelope Ave., between 2022 and early 2025, there were 13 accidents, of which five resulted in injuries.
At the intersection in concern, E. 56th and Antelope Ave., between March 2022 and May 2025, there were 22 accidents, nine of which resulted in injuries.
As recently as Tuesday, May 6, there were two separate accidents at the intersection, one at 1:04 p.m. and 7:32 p.m.
During the May 27 meeting, Highway Superintendent John Maul said that the engineering studies are intensive and will take several months to complete. The engineers will also make their recommendations following the study.
