By Rich Bangs
Douglas Land Conservancy (DLC) staff recently got an up-close look at one of the largest wildlife overpasses in the country when they visited the site near I-25 and Larkspur to see the finished project.
“Working in partnership with so many different organizations to accomplish such an amazing conservation project is humbling. So many people from a variety of interests came together for our wildlife, it’s an example of what collaboration can accomplish,” remarked Laura Sanford, Executive Director of DLC.
“We’re so excited to share that the Greenland Wildlife Overpass is complete,” said Kaitlyn Stabell, DLC’s Community Outreach and Engagement Manager.
“We’re thrilled to have incredible partners that, like us, support projects to enhance connectivity of public and private conserved lands for our wildlife.”
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in collaboration with the Federal Highway Administration, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Douglas County and other partners built the crossing over Interstate 25 at mile point 165.4 a few miles north of Monument at a cost of about $15 million. The overpass aims to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions on this stretch of I-25, where accidents involving animals happen frequently.
The structure, completed in early December, is 200 feet wide and 209 feet long, covering 41,800 square feet and is covered with natural vegetation to blend into the landscape. Fencing was installed along both sides of the highway to guide animals toward the crossing.
It connects an area of about 39,000 acres, some of which is protected by DLC easements, to more than one million acres of the Pike National Forest, creating a vital wildlife corridor.
The bridge was designed to provide a safe path for large animals like elk and deer to cross the busy freeway.
According to CDOT, thousands of deer, and other large animals move across Colorado each year. They graze in the lowlands during winter and return to the mountains in the summer. But their paths often cross busy highways. One of the most historically hazardous spots is I-25 between Larkspur and Monument. More than 100,000 vehicles pass there every day. With six lanes cutting through thousands of acres of wildlife habitat, collisions between animals and cars are frequent. In a typical crossing season, there was about one animal/vehicle collision per day, CDOT officials said.
The Greenland Overpass is a unique solution to a unique situation, says Chuck Attardo, I-25 south corridor environmental project manager for CDOT.
This overpass spans six lanes of interstate traffic, connecting 39,000 acres of habitat on both sides of I-25 and preserves open space with good proximity to water. The structure was built with gradually sloped entrances that invite wildlife to use the crossing. The overpass will tie into the existing 18-mile mitigation system between Colorado’s two most populous cities, Denver and Colorado Springs.
While many underpasses are used by smaller animals, the overpass addresses specific needs for large game animals such as elk. They are known to avoid tunnels and enclosed structures that can’t accommodate their antlers and restrict mobility. They prefer open structures with clear sight lines.
A federal grant provided the bulk of the funding for the project. This project is one of 19 wildlife crossings that U.S. Department of Transportation funded nationwide.
Much of the information for this article was taken from the Colorado Department of Transportation website.