Colorado Building “World’s Largest” Wildlife Overpass on I-25

Colorado is building what officials in a recent Axios report say will be the “world’s largest” wildlife overpass spanning six lanes of Interstate 25 between Denver and Colorado Springs.

The $15 million Greenland Wildlife Overpass aims to reduce vehicle-animal collisions by up to 90% on one of the state’s busiest highway stretches, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).

Roughly 85,000 vehicles travel this section of I-25 daily, and CDOT projects that number to rise to 150,000 by 2040.

Located at Mile Point 165.4 near Monument, the 209-foot-long, 200-foot-wide bridge will link 39,000 acres of big game habitat in Douglas County to more than 1 million acres of Pike National Forest. The area is a major migration route for elk, mule deer, pronghorn and other wildlife.

The project is currently in its third of four construction phases and is expected to be completed by December. CDOT spokesperson Tamara Rollison told K99.com the final phase will begin in September.

Wildlife-vehicle collisions are a growing concern across Colorado, with more than 5,000 incidents reported annually. These crashes cost the state an estimated $80 million each year in cleanup, medical expenses and lost wildlife.

Colorado has constructed more than 100 wildlife crossings, most of them tunnels. The Greenland project stands out as a key part of a broader 18-mile initiative to improve wildlife safety between Castle Rock and Monument.

Drivers should expect lane closures, realignments and speed reductions in the area through the end of the year.

Source: Axios, K99.com