Colorado Department of Transportation receives $22 million in funding for wildlife overpass

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - This week, the Colorado Department of Transportation received $22 million dollars to build a wildlife overpass between Denver and Colorado Springs as part of a longer project to protect the major thoroughfare from wildlife collisions.

According to CDOT, there are over 3,000 wildlife collisions reported each year. Of those, over 2,000 result in injuries, and 33 in fatalities. That's part of the reason the construction project is a priority.

In September, U.S. Senator's John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation backing up CDOT's request for funding.

“The Greenland Overpass will connect 39,000 acres of important big game habitat, reduce roadway hazards, and help keep both Colorado drivers and wildlife safe,” said Bennet. “I urged the Biden administration to support natural infrastructure projects in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I’m pleased Douglas County and CDOT will receive this funding. This is what it looks like to invest in America again.”

Senator Hickenlooper says investments on these crossings will help both wildlife and drivers traversing I-25.

“Wildlife crossings reduce car accidents, protect our big game, and cut time sitting in traffic,” said Hickenlooper. “Investments like this $22 million towards the Greenland Wildlife Overpass on I-25 between Colorado Springs and Denver help save lives, ease congestion, and connect the natural habitats of the Great Plains with the Rocky Mountains.” 

Overpasses are a more expensive way to mitigate wildlife collisions, but CDOT says they have been working on creating more innovative ways to keep wildlife out of roadways. According to CDOT, the project also includes 28 miles of deer fencing and the re-utilization of drainage tunnels to create underpasses for wildlife.

I-25 also slices one of Colorado's largest spaces for wildlife in Douglas County, making this project important for wildlife conservation. CDOT says that they've been working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to create a comprehensive plan for the project.

It is not clear where exactly the overpass will be constructed in the thoroughfare or when that project will be completed, but once it is, lawmakers say that it will be one of the largest wildlife connectivity projects in North America.