SALT LAKE CITY — Those animal crossing signs don't always prevent collisions with wildlife on the highway, but Utah will receive a $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build wildlife overpasses to protect potential collisions.
These bridges are part of a plan to restore populations of big game wildlife such as the Paunsaugunt mule deer.
Utah has several of these bridges, one the most popular being the one build in 2018 on I-80 in Parley's Canyon that streams video of beer, deer, cougars, and other wildlife using the thoroughfare.
READ: Six new wildlife crossings constructed in Utah this past year
Utah will use the federal funding to build three wildlife overpasses along US 189.
These funds are part of the Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program that also allocates money for fencing, tracking and mapping tools, and other tools to prevent collisions between wildlife and traffic.
It's estimated that there are over one million wildlife vehicle collisions a year that take the lives of 200 people, injure 26,000 passengers and drivers, and harm or kill countless numbers of wildlife.
“We are pleased to announce the first round of grants under the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program to projects that will significantly reduce the number of collisions between motorists and wildlife,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt.
“These roadway safety investments will ensure that motorists and wildlife in Utah get to their destinations safely and are a win-win for safety and the environment.”
