A Highway-Bridge for Elk, Moose, and Deer – and They Really Use It!

An overpass dedicated to helping Utah’s wildlife animals safely cross a busy six-lane highway was built two years ago, and it is now widely used by dozens of species. Among them are deer, moose, and elk – as well as predators and small mammals!

“It’s great to see so many different animals using the overpass,” says John Gleason, spokesman of Utah’s Department of Transportation in the United States. “From what we can tell, the number of accidents there is down dramatically. At least initially, it appears the investment in safety is paying off. And we expected it to take several years before the animals got used to using it, so this is great.”

The bridge is 15m wide and 100m long, and its location was strategically selected because it follows the animals’ migratory patterns. Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources expected the animals to adjust to this new path after years, but footage from cameras installed along the bridge’s guardrail shows that a large variety of animals are already using it – not even two years after completion. Collisions can be reduced by “85 to 95% with crossings and fencing that guide animals under or over highways,” says Rob Ament, the road ecology program manager at the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University, thus safeguarding animals and humans alike.