Trivia Tuesday, June 9
Last week's answer
Question:
Across the U.S., state DOTs are building massive, vegetated Wildlife Crossings over major interstates to restore migratory routes. While these structures are heavily planted to mimic natural terrain, engineers have found that constructing high acoustic walls masked by dirt berms along the sides of the bridge is critical to its success. What is the primary reason for this acoustic shielding?
Answer: To block the sound and headlight glare of high-speed traffic below, which otherwise terrifies migratory animals and causes them to reject the crossing.
Barriers and berms are often used in wildlife crossing to reduce the amount of noise and light from nearby traffic, which can deter light- and noise-sensitive animals from utilizing them. UC Davis' Institute of Transportation Studies found that wildlife crossings are used by a larger number of nearby animals if they are relatively dark and quiet.