New Highway Administration Grants Aim to Reduce Wildlife Collisions

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced a new initiative to reduce wildlife collisions on the nation’s highways. The agency is providing $110 million in grants for 19 wildlife crossing projects across 17 states, including four Indian Tribes. This funding is part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and will support the construction of wildlife crossings over and below busy roads, the addition of fencing, and the acquisition of tracking and mapping tools.

The BIL has allocated a total of $350 million over five years for the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. This initiative comes in response to the more than one million wildlife vehicle collisions estimated to occur in the U.S. each year. These incidents result in approximately 200 human fatalities and 26,000 injuries annually, costing the public more than $10 billion.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of these grants, stating, “Every year, too many Americans are injured or killed in crashes involving cars and wildlife, especially in rural areas – but President Biden is tackling this challenge through these first-ever roadway safety grants.”

Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt echoed this sentiment, expressing pleasure at the announcement of the first round of grants under the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. He noted that these investments would significantly reduce collisions between motorists and wildlife, benefiting both safety and the environment.

Among the projects receiving funding are:

• The Arizona Department of Transportation, which will receive $24 million for the Interstate-17 (I-17) Munds Park to Kelly Canyon Wildlife Overpass Project. This project aims to reduce wildlife vehicle collisions along I-17 and increase habitat connectivity for local species, particularly elk.
• The Wyoming Department of Transportation, which will receive $24.4 million to build an overpass, several underpasses, and high-barrier wildlife fencing along 30 miles of US 189 in southwest Wyoming, a rural highway corridor with a high number of wildlife-vehicle collisions.
• The Colorado Department of Transportation, which will receive $22 million to build a dedicated overpass on I-25 between Denver and Colorado Springs. Once completed, the Greenland Wildlife Overpass will be one of the largest overpass structures in North America, spanning six lanes of interstate highway. It will help reduce vehicle collisions with elk and mule deer along I-25 and connect vital habitats on both sides of the highway from the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains.
• The Stillaguamish Tribe in Washington State, which will receive $8.5 million to design and construct a wildlife overpass with fencing on rural State Route 20 in Skagit County. The Red Cabin Creek Wildlife overpass at Milepost 76.2 will span two lanes of traffic and is aimed at helping multiple species, including elk.
• The California Department of Transportation, which will receive $8 million to reduce wildlife vehicle collisions and connect animal habitats between protected State Park lands on either side of US 101. Improvements include increasing the size of an existing culvert and installing 2.5 miles of fencing at road crossings, allowing for safer roads for drivers.
• The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which will receive $840,000 to develop a comprehensive statewide strategy to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.

These projects represent a significant step forward in reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and improving safety for both drivers and wildlife.