Oregon has received $33 million in federal funding to construct the state’s first wildlife overpass over Interstate 5.
Overpass construction will span the northbound and southbound lanes just north of the Oregon-California state line, within the Mariposa Reserve of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, to help reduce vehicle-wildlife collisions , according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.
“This area has been noted to have a lot of wildlife-vehicle collisions,” said ODOT spokesperson Julie Denney.
The Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife reported vehicle-wildlife collisions peak in October and November, with around 6,000 collisions reported a year, based on information from ODOT.
The average cost of a deer collision is $9,000, and $24,000 for a collision with an elk, according to ODOT. Data from six wildlife underpasses in Oregon show their construction led to an 86% decrease in wildlife-vehicle collisions.
Rachel Wheat, wildlife connectivity coordinator for ODFW, said the area where the overpass will be constructed was considered the highest priority need due to its biodiversity and sensitive wildlife populations.