Traffic backup at Wildlife drive through safari cause issues

Long traffic at an Ashland safari is making weekend travel hard for a nearby neighborhood

Long traffic at an Ashland safari is making weekend travel hard for a nearby neighborhood. The safari has been a very popular social distancing event.

“While a local safari is providing a fun outlet for many families it also causing a lot of traffic to back up,” adds Roos. “If you run into town to get a loaf of bread, it takes you ten minutes. But it may take you an hour just to get back to your house because you can’t get around the traffic.”

Alan Roos lives near the Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari in Ashland. The conservation is offering drive through tours. Traffic lines are seen on Highway 66, sometimes all the way to the I–80 bridge. It also blocks the entrance to Roos’s neighborhood.

“Over the weekends, the traffic is backed up for sometimes for a mile or a mile and a half,” said Roos. “The state patrol was keeping them off the interstate bridge but once they  get called out to do something else the bridge fills up again.”

Roos says many of his neighbors are retired or semi–retired and if an emergency happens, first responders may be blocked by the safari traffic.

“By the time they’d get here our house probably would be burned down to the ground and its the same with and emergencies,” said Roos. “If somebody would have a heart attack or something down here and the ambulance it’s just a delay of time.”

The Nebraska State Patrol have not yet commented but they have said to other sources they are working with the safari to help control the line. The park recently wrote this post on Facebook to NSP saying quote, “We appreciate all you continue to do…traffic control outside our gates…”

Roos just hopes a solution is made where the road is safe for families who want to come to the safari and for neighbors who live nearby.