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- Utah pioneered wildlife crossings in 1975, significantly reducing roadkill and accidents.
- Funding remains crucial, with a 90% success rate in animal crossings observed statewide.
SALT LAKE CITY — In 1975, Utah became the first state to put in a wildlife crossing when one was installed near Beaver on I-15.
Years later, U.S. 6 — once reputed to be among the deadliest, if not the most dangerous, roadway in the state — experienced a transformation that earned a national highway award for improvements that ultimately ended up saving lives, both human and animal.
The stretch of highway on U.S. 6 between Spanish Fork and Price has been widened, re-striped, repaved and has had a number of structural improvements added over the years to reduce motorist fatalities while decreasing vehicle collisions with wildlife.
An Exemplary Ecosystem Initiative Award recognized that effort.
Crossings can include such structures as slightly raised bridges along a stream's corridor, or widening a culvert so it's an ideal size for deer to pass through. If it's too long, it has a repelling factor for the animals.
Dave Sakaguchi, a habitat biologist with the state Division of Wildlife Resources, said the need for such structures was clearly demonstrated in an analysis of U.S. 6 by federal officials when a major overhaul was being planned years ago.
Numbers showed a gross underestimation of how many vehicle accidents happen due to wildlife. Initial estimates put 100 accidents due to wildlife in a 10-year period, but Sakaguchi said roadkill records from Utah Department of Transportation contractors showed 300 to 500 carcasses being picked up per year.
Pew's U.S. conservation project advocates for yearly recurring appropriation for wildlife crossings so they can provide certainty for project planning and keep roads safe while connecting important habitats. The organization says, for example, that UDOT should have a yearly line item from state lawmakers for that purpose.
The complexity of funding
Matt Howard, natural resources manager for Utah's Department of Transportation, said despite an infusion of $20 million in funding from lawmakers, such projects are expensive and priorities have to rise to the top for completion.
Howard said there was a $9 million project for wildlife crossing improvements on U.S. 40 between Starvation Reservoir and Strawberry Reservoir.
The state also has its eye on wildlife work on U.S. 89 in Kanab, but it boils down to funding. There has been some work done, but it is a continuation of an effort that takes time, engineering and, of course, money.
How do you measure success?
Howard says it comes down to money, planning and wildlife behavior.
"On the crossings we've put in, they have been incredibly successful. The way we measure the success is called our success ratio," he said.
"And for each animal that approaches the crossing, we look on video to see if they successfully cross or if they turn around, and if they turn around, we call that a rejection and on average throughout the state, we are at over a 90% acceptance ratio. And we have also been able to observe pretty drastic reductions in collisions where we put in crossings."
