Wildlife Overpasses Are Cutting Roadkill on Busy Highways

Vegetated bridges built specifically for animals are letting wildlife cross highways safely again.Studies tracking overpasses built for deer, elk, and smaller mammals show sharp drops in vehicle collisions on the stretches of highway they serve, alongside a return of genetic diversity in populations that had been split by the road. The structures are landscaped to match the surrounding terrain, and cameras placed along them have documented dozens of species using the crossings, from bears to bobcats. Transportation departments are increasingly building the cost of a crossing into new highway projects rather than retrofitting one later.