Sixteen states will receive a total of $125 million in grants to help reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced last week.
The grants, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, will help reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions that cost Americans more than $10 billion each year in medical expenses and property damage. The funding will support studies and projects that construct wildlife crossings over and below roads, add fencing to direct animals to the crossings and monitor performance of crossing system. Overall, the program will provide $350 million in funding to states and Tribal lands to reduce collisions with wildlife while improving habitats and supporting the survival of threatened or endangered species.
“Too many Americans are injured or killed each year in crashes involving cars and wildlife, especially in rural areas—which is why our Department created the first-ever program dedicated to crossings that make roads and highways safer for both humans and wildlife,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.
The department said there are more than a million wildlife vehicle collisions each year that result in an estimated 200 human fatalities and more than 26,000 injuries to drivers and passengers.
States receiving grants included Oregon, which will receive $33.2 million to build a wildlife crossing along I-5; Idaho, which will receive nearly $21 million to construct three wildlife underpasses; and Nevada, which will receive $16.8 million to build 61 wildlife crossings along US-93, as well as install 68 miles of barrier fencing.
“Safety is FHWA’s top priority, and these roadway safety investments will ensure that motorists and wildlife get to their destinations safely while advancing a safe, efficient transportation system that benefits all road users as well as the environment,” Acting Federal Highway Deputy Administrator Gloria M. Shepherd said.