A new wildlife ramp taking shape between the Tucson and Tortolita mountains will give rock squirrels, lizards, javelina, mule deer, mountain lions and other critters a safer way to navigate beneath one of Southern Arizona’s busiest highways.
The Santa Cruz River Wildlife Ramp, part of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan , is expected to be completed by June and will serve as a bustling freeway for desert animals to move safely — without darting across Interstate 10.
The ramp is located between Twin Peaks Road and West Avra Valley Road, adjacent to the El Rio Preserve and an abandoned underpass at I-10. A wildlife fence will funnel animals to the ramp, ensuring its use. It is the first phase of a wildlife corridor in the area…