Latest news with #WildlifeCrossingsPilotProgram
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Legislators approve stunning wildlife bridge project unlike anything seen in the US: 'It's a data-driven approach'
Many of America's highways have existed for thousands of years, but rather than cars traveling them, they were migration routes for keystone species. Fortunately, legislators in Arizona have preserved one particular migration route in Arizona with a "wildlife bridge," according to Environment America. Since the 1950s, the U.S. highway system has crisscrossed important areas of travel for animals, resulting in anywhere between 1 million and 2 million vehicle collisions with large animals yearly, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Associate Casey Miller reported that "elk, deer, black bears, and even mountain lions also need to move through the landscape — and right now, they've only got one option: cross the road." Between 2018 and 2023, the area was the site of 58% of wildlife crashes on a 50-mile stretch of Arizona highway. The Arizona Game and Fish Department proved the concentration of wildlife activity, per the Environment America report. They used GPS collars to pinpoint migratory routes. "It's a data-driven approach that mirrors successful efforts in other states," Miller reported. The wildlife bridge is scheduled to be finished in 2026 and will be covered in vegetation. Tall fences will guide animals toward the crossing. Bridges like this have been introduced across the globe, helping save lives and even protect mammals on the brink of extinction. Lives will be saved with fewer car accidents, and keystone species (species that, if removed, would cause major disruptions to the ecosystem) will be preserved when they can maintain normal migratory routes. This can prevent the food chain from getting out of balance, which has real, tangible consequences for the public. Without keystone species to work as ecosystem engineers, invasive fish, mammals, insects, and plant life can run amok. Wildlife crossings are a priority for road safety across the U.S., and many states are also working to build them for the safety of humans and wildlife. This wildlife bridge will cost $15.8 million, and the projects across the U.S. are federally funded as part of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. Would you live in a city where every road was underground? Sign me up Depends on how it looks Only if you paid me No freaking way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Miller wrote: "While roads may get busier, they are also getting smarter — and more wildlife-friendly. "Elk, deer, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, black bears, and Arizonans can now rest easier with safe passageways over the I-17 freeway." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Construction set to begin on wildlife crossing over I-17 south of Flagstaff
Wildlife roaming south of Flagstaff will soon have access to safe passage across Interstate 17 as state transportation officials prepare to begin construction of a wildlife crossing over the busy freeway. The project represents an effort to reconnect habitats for animals like deer and elk, while reducing the risk of driver-wildlife collisions. The Arizona Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will start construction on the 100-ft wide wildlife bridge 12 miles south of Flagstaff in April. The crossing will be covered in native vegetation and designed with a variety of animals in mind, including elk, deer, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, black bears, mountain lions and smaller animals, which can be threatened by habitat fragmentation and collisions caused by highway traffic. The $15.8 million project also includes 8-foot-tall fencing running for more than 8 miles along the highway. The project area accounted for 58% of crashes involving wildlife between Stoneman Lake Road and Flagstaff between 2018 and 2022, according to an ADOT news release. Along the 32-mile stretch, about 75% of all wildlife collisions involve elk, which can weigh over 1,000 pounds. Currently, the only safe passage available for elk and deer seeking to cross is a single culvert running underneath the highway. Essential environment and climate news: Sign up for AZ Climate, delivered to your inbox every Tuesday from The Republic and The overpass is made possible through funding from the Federal Highway Administration's Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program awarded in 2023. The $24 million grant to Arizona was among 19 projects awarded nationally by the federal program in its first round of $110 million funding. Nationally, more than 1 million wildlife-vehicle collisions are estimated to impact motorists each year, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Those involving large animals result in approximately 200 fatalities and 2,600 injuries. 'I am grateful to the Federal Highway Administration for supporting Arizona's commitment to protecting its residents, visitors and wildlife,' said Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs in 2023. 'Many drivers use I-17 as a gateway to some of Arizona's most popular treasures, including the Grand Canyon. While helping keep those travelers safe, this project will support elk, deer and other wildlife that make Arizona so special.' These collisions also cost the public more than $10 billion annually in loss of income, medical expenses, property damage and other costs, according to the federal agency. Drivers should expect travel times to change as construction progresses on the project. Crews will pave temporary crossovers in the area to allow traffic to be shifted to one side of the highway, as needed, while the overpass is being built. At times when the highway is narrowed to one lane in each direction, drivers should allow for extra travel time on I-17. The project is scheduled to be completed by fall 2026. John Leos covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to Environmental coverage on and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ADOT to start constructing wildlife crossing over I-17 near Flagstaff
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Construction set to begin on wildlife crossing over I-17 south of Flagstaff
Wildlife roaming south of Flagstaff will soon have access to safe passage across Interstate 17 as state transportation officials prepare to begin construction of a wildlife crossing over the busy freeway. The project represents an effort to reconnect habitats for animals like deer and elk, while reducing the risk of driver-wildlife collisions. The Arizona Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, will start construction on the 100-ft wide wildlife bridge 12 miles south of Flagstaff in April. The crossing will be covered in native vegetation and designed with a variety of animals in mind, including elk, deer, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, black bears, mountain lions and smaller animals, which can be threatened by habitat fragmentation and collisions caused by highway traffic. The $15.8 million project also includes 8-foot-tall fencing running for more than 8 miles along the highway. The project area accounted for 58% of crashes involving wildlife between Stoneman Lake Road and Flagstaff between 2018 and 2022, according to an ADOT news release. Along the 32-mile stretch, about 75% of all wildlife collisions involve elk, which can weigh over 1,000 pounds. Currently, the only safe passage available for elk and deer seeking to cross is a single culvert running underneath the highway. Essential environment and climate news: Sign up for AZ Climate, delivered to your inbox every Tuesday from The Republic and The overpass is made possible through funding from the Federal Highway Administration's Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program awarded in 2023. The $24 million grant to Arizona was among 19 projects awarded nationally by the federal program in its first round of $110 million funding. Nationally, more than 1 million wildlife-vehicle collisions are estimated to impact motorists each year, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Those involving large animals result in approximately 200 fatalities and 2,600 injuries. 'I am grateful to the Federal Highway Administration for supporting Arizona's commitment to protecting its residents, visitors and wildlife,' said Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs in 2023. 'Many drivers use I-17 as a gateway to some of Arizona's most popular treasures, including the Grand Canyon. While helping keep those travelers safe, this project will support elk, deer and other wildlife that make Arizona so special.' These collisions also cost the public more than $10 billion annually in loss of income, medical expenses, property damage and other costs, according to the federal agency. Drivers should expect travel times to change as construction progresses on the project. Crews will pave temporary crossovers in the area to allow traffic to be shifted to one side of the highway, as needed, while the overpass is being built. At times when the highway is narrowed to one lane in each direction, drivers should allow for extra travel time on I-17. The project is scheduled to be completed by fall 2026. John Leos covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to Environmental coverage on and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at and @azcenvironment on Facebook and Instagram. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ADOT to start constructing wildlife crossing over I-17 near Flagstaff
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
State to use $1.7 million to build animal crossing over a major highway: 'Help preserve American life and property'
A real-world animal crossing — with room to share with people — is in the works in Western Massachusetts as part of a nationwide effort to improve wildlife protection and highway safety. Near the end of 2024, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced grants that included $1.7 million for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to begin replacing a footbridge where the famous Appalachian Trail crosses Interstate 90 near the town of Becket. According to the grant selection records, the new project "will offer separate and distinct areas for wildlife, pedestrians, and hikers and include fencing to help funnel wildlife to the crossings." Known as the I-90 Mass Pike Appalachian Trail Pedestrian-Wildlife Shared Use Crossing, the new passageway will be designed to reduce accidents "in an area that sees a high number of collisions between drivers and deer," as local NBC affiliate WWLP reported. The grant is slated to cover design and permitting for the project over I-90, which functions as the Massachusetts Turnpike or "Mass Pike" for the section running through the state. Nationally, the FHWA awarded $125 million in grants for 16 crossings in 16 states through the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program created by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The FHWA noted that more than 1 million vehicle collisions with wildlife are estimated to occur in the U.S. annually; WWLP reported 3,700 last year in Massachusetts alone. Crashes with large animals led to about 200 human deaths, 26,000 motorist injuries, and more than $10 billion in estimated costs annually, according to the administration. Wildlife crossings help protect humans and animals by providing safe passage along common animal movement and migration routes. This can support the survival of threatened or endangered species, as the FHWA noted. And it gives animals a chance to adapt as environments change in a warming world, as detailed in a Pew Charitable Trusts report. Overpasses and tunnels also promote genetic diversity and prevent animal populations from becoming isolated on two sides of a major road. Although the Mass Pike crossing will be the first of its kind in the state, according to WWLP, there are numerous projects to model after. A CBS News segment reported last year that about 1,500 such structures have been built. Some of the most prominent include a set in Banff National Park in Canada and other I-90 crossings in Washington state. A giant overpass is also in the works in Southern California. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The projects winning grants in late 2024, including in Massachusetts, will use existing crossings to inform their own designs and improve safety for humans and animals. "The projects moving forward in 16 states will reduce collisions between drivers and wildlife, create places for wildlife to safely move over and under highways, and help preserve American life and property," outgoing U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
