An overpass built two years ago to allow wildlife to safely travel across a Utah interstate is working, wildlife officials said.
Video released Thursday shows bears, bobcat and deer crossing the Parleys Canyon Wildlife Overpass which was built during an interstate widening project to improve safety for drivers and wildlife, WJW reported.
“It’s working,” the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said on social media. “As you can see, the second year of this overpass has been successful at helping wildlife safely migrate over busy Interstate 80 and helping motorists be much safer as well.”
The 350-foot long bridge is 50 feet wide. Crews put boulders, tree limbs and rocks to give the overpass a more natural feel. Six miles of fencing encourage wildlife to cross at the overpass rather than the interstate.
In the two years before the overpass opened there were 106 vehicle collisions with wildlife, KCRG reported. The number of collisions since it opened was not available.