It’s one of those “picture is worth a thousand words” kind of deals. Recent video captured by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) shows how elk are successfully using wildlife overpasses to safely cross a busy stretch of Interstate-90.
This particular overpass is near Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains of west-central Washington about 55 miles southeast of Seattle. Its construction helped alleviate a bottleneck of sorts for elk and other wildlife seeking to safely cross the busy highway.
Brian White, WSDOT assistant administrator, told KING-TV that a previous environmental impact study showed 1,300 wildlife-vehicle collisions in the corridor over a 10-year period. The safe and successful movement since construction of the overpass is a testament to its effectiveness.
The $6.2 million overpass is the first of a series of 20 I-90 wildlife crossings in the works.
Go here to view a KING-TV news report about the overpass.
(Photo source: Washington State Department of Transportation)