Wildlife mitigation system built into I-25 south Gap

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO)-- On Thursday, the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado Parks and Wildlife unveiled an expansive wildlife mitigation system between Monument and Castle Rock in the I-25 S Gap.

The goal is to help reduce the number of accidents on the road.

"There's about 12 miles on either side of the interstate here that is preserved open space or in a conservation easement for wildlife purposes, so it just makes sense that this area is protected for wildlife for many generations to come," said Chuck Attardo, the I-25 Environmental Manager.

Four new underpasses were built and a fifth refurbished along the I-25 S Gap. Each was strategically placed to help reduce the number of accidents between cars and wildlife. CDOT says nearly 4,000 of those accidents happen in Colorado each year, costing an estimated $80 million.

"We took a lot of data that we had from roadkills reports, historically we tried to figure out the hotspots to where those are happening and put them in those locations," said Jason Clay, a public information officer for CPW.

Along with the underpasses, 28 miles of deer fencing, 19 deer guards, and 60 game ramps were strategically placed. It's a $20 million price tag that officials say will pay for itself.

"We hope to reduce animal-vehicle collisions by 90 percent. If we do that, we’re going to pay for this system in 15 years or less," said Attardo.

The project isn't 100% complete, but officials say animals are already using it.

They're currently installing 59 cameras throughout the mitigation system so they can monitor and measure the project's success.