A large bridge built for wildlife near Larkspur, Colorado, is helping animals cross Interstate 25 safely. The bridge opened in December and stretches across six traffic lanes. It is the largest wildlife bridge in North America, with space for bears, elk, moose and other animals to move across the busy road.
The crossing system also includes five tunnels beneath the road for smaller animals or those less willing to use the bridge. Fences guide wildlife towards these safe routes. After ten months, collisions between animals and vehicles had fallen by 91%, slightly better than the 90% reduction that transport officials expected. Smaller creatures, including frogs and rabbits, also benefit from the crossings.
Drivers have seen improvements too. Traffic delays have fallen by 9%, as fewer crashes mean fewer lane closures. Before these changes, the Larkspur–Monument corridor averaged one wildlife collision a day. Colorado is now examining six more locations for wildlife bridges. The plans include the first crossing designed specifically for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.
