Colorado is building the world’s largest ‘wildlife overpass.’ Here’s how it will help animals – and drivers – along I-25

The world’s largest wildlife overpass will soon be open for use in Colorado.  

Wildlife overpasses allow animals to safely cross over highways. And Western states are building more of them to cut down on the number of crashes between vehicles and animals.   

The Greenland wildlife crossing is being built over a section of I-25 between Denver and Colorado Springs, just north of Monument. Some 80,000 drivers pass through this area daily. But elk, mule deer, and pronghorn also use that area to move between the mountains and the plains. And this stretch of highway averages one vehicle crash involving wildlife per day.   

So, how could this overpass help reduce these dangerous and costly crashes?   

Nicki Frey is a wildlife specialist with Utah State University Extension. She studies wildlife overpasses in the West, but was not involved in planning this one. She joined Erin O’Toole earlier this year to explain how they work – and why they’re important to both wildlife and drivers. We’re listening back to that conversation today.  

For more on interactions between humans and Colorado wildlife, check out this series from KUNC News. 

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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
 
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
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In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.