The aim was to protect drivers and wildlife, particularly along the scary highways. Now it's time to see if your investment will pay off.
Alan Johnson, a wildlife biologist with the South Ute Indian Tribe in the southwestern part of the state, walked up the bank to the newly constructed Overrop Crossing Route 160.
He tried not to worry about the project. After all, existing research was in his favour. But this idea still creeps up: what if all efforts proved to be a failure for over 15 years?
50 states, 50 fixes are a series on local solutions for environmental issues. I'll come more this year.
It was a cool summer morning in 2022 and mist rose from the ground. Johnson carried a trail camera. Mule deer and elk did not appear in any number until the second half of the year when they had to cross the highway to reach the wintering ground. Still, he hoped that the camera was ready to capture possible early evidence of animals using the structure.
At the top of the elevated he hardly believed what he saw: lines of hoof prints were pushed deep into the fresh mud, extending from one side to the other. The elk had already found its way.
“For me, it was a kind of indication,” Johnson said.
Since then, it has been success one after another. Mule deer and elk herds use structures as well as bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes and foxes.
Wildlife intersections have become popular nationwide, with Colorado emerging as the leader in recent years. It has been building 28 new, large-scale gaming cross-structures since 2015, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The state is rich in wildlife, with many of its species moving from summer elevations to lower elevations in winter. In 2022, the General Assembly passed a law that would create a cash fund for the department to use at animal crossings. Colorado also evaluated the highways and created a priority list of future projects.
Wildlife intersections have been found to reduce vehicle collisions with larger animals by more than 80% when combined with long fencing that leaks animals into the funnel in the right place.
Although they are expensive, studies show that there are at least an average of three collisions between drivers and deer per mile per year, saving money when installed on highway stretches. In the case of collisions with elk and moose, it is large and therefore causes more damage to the vehicle and people, so that the threshold decreases to less than one mile per year.
Locals have long known that they must be extremely careful when driving along the stretch of Route 160 near Chimney Rock National Monument.
“We've seen a lot of effort into this world,” said Mark Lawler, a biologist with the Colorado Department of Transport.
In the early 2000s, Johnson, a biologist at Southern UTE, began to understand better how Mule deer had collapsed in his collar and moved the landscape around the booking. He analyzed his data and overlayed them on state records of wildlife and vehicle collisions.
“It couldn't have been more perfect,” he said. “These things line up very accurately.”
The Colorado Department of Transport, which covers most of the costs of wildlife intersections, has agreed to place an underground passage for bookings. However, certain species, especially elk, appear to like them a lot, so the southern utes also wanted to install elevated tracks. The tribe came up with $1.3 million from the Indian Affairs Bureau to make it happen.
Additional funding for the $12 million project came from the state Department of Wildlife, nonprofits, and even private donors.
Lawler, a biologist with the Department of Transport, said Colorado tried to emulate success in other states and shared its own lessons.
“It's a friendly competition,” Lawler said. “We're all learning from each other.” It's not just information that's shared. In some cases, herds using wildlife intersections travel across state lines.
The additional bonus for Wildlife Crossings is photos that come from trail cameras and helps bring attention to the program, Lawler said. Below are some of another wildlife crossing project along State Highway 9 in Grand County.
However, potential issues are emerging. As the Trump administration cuts federal spending, grant programs that help states and tribes pay wildlife crossings at conflict hotspots are questioning, including grants already promised.
The Trump administration said the remaining grants are under review and the project focuses on reducing crowds and enhancing safety.
Wildlife intersections transcend political sectors, said Patricia Cramer, an ecologist who consults with the state on wildlife intersections, including the Route 160 project. They are popular among Republicans and Democrats. Of the two states she considers as a national leader, Wyoming is red and Colorado is blue.
For Ute in the south, the intersection fits the cultural importance of being a land custody, said Andrew Gallegos, a member of the Tribal Council.
“This is one way to give back,” Gallegos said. “To protect life.”
