Washington state combats collisions with new wildlife bridge
December 12, 2018 by Manuel Valdes
In this photo taken Oct. 4, 2018, eastbound Interstate 90 traffic passes beneath a
wildlife bridge under construction on Snoqualmie Pass, Wash. The stretch of highway
crossing the Cascade Mountains cuts through old growth forest and wetlands,
creating a dangerous border for wildlife everything from an elk down to a small
salamander. The new crossing gives animals in these mountains a safer option for
crossing the road: They'll be able to go above it. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Before descending the Cascade Mountains on its final stretch to Seattle, Interstate 90 cuts through a mountain pass of old growth forests and wetlands.
For countless wildlife species, the busy highway is a border, constraining their movements and posing a fatal risk should they dare to cross it.
"Everything from an elk down to a small salamander, they need to move to find food, to find mates, to find new places to live as their populations expand or just when conditions change, like a fire breaks out," said Jen Watkins of Conservation Northwest.
Soon, animals will have a safer option for crossing the road: They'll be able to go above it.
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-12-washington-state-combats-collisions-wildlife.html#jCp