A porcupine and a bear don’t generally have much in common, yet they both travel over Interstate 80 in Utah.
Because animals may be dangerous on the busy six-lane highway, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources devised a simple approach to prevent traffic accidents and protect the area’s furrier residents.
The Parley’s Canyon wildlife overpass, which is covered with rocks, logs, and boulders, opened to the public in December 2018.
Animals often take time to acclimate to changes in their habitat, and officials expected the bridge to be utilized for years. The animals, on the other hand, were plainly grateful for the alternative, and researchers witnessed surprising success almost immediately.
The Utah Department of Transportation and Utah State University monitor the “traffic” on the overpass via a hidden camera — and were pleasantly surprised when they saw how many lives it has saved in 2020.
Moose, deer, bears, porcupines, squirrels, bobcats, and raccoons saunter across the pebbled walkway in a film broadcast in November, obtaining safe access to new territory and eating areas.
Here’s a list of all the animals the bridge has saved:
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said on Facebook, “It’s working!” “As you can see, the second year of this overpass has been beneficial in assisting animals in securely crossing busy Interstate 80 while also assisting motorists in being considerably safer.”
Six other wildlife bridges and barriers will be built along Utah’s animal migratory routes in 2020 as a result of the overpass’s success. It’s difficult to say how many lives they’ve saved, but it proves that a little kindness can go a long way.
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