By all accounts, it is a massive undertaking. Construction crews hit the 50 percent completion mark in building the world’s largest structure over an interstate for wildlife. It crosses Interstate 25 south of Denver and north of Colorado Springs.

“This overpass is the final link in a system that will make I-25 safer for both drivers and wildlife. By completing the wildlife crossing network from Castle Rock to Monument, we expect to cut vehicle-animal collisions by 90 percent,” said Shoshana Lew, Colorado Department of Transportation executive director. “This is an achievement for both public safety and conservation, and it is a result of the support from our federal delegation, Douglas County, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and many other partners.”

The structure features foundation work of piers, columns and 76 girders (38 over each direction of I-25). The remaining work includes building the bridge superstructure over the girders, pouring the concrete bridge deck and tying into abutments, building walls, grading slopes, preparing the soil and wildlife landscaping, and installing wildlife fencing. The bridge structure is expected to be completed in late 2025 with landscaping and other work completed in 2026.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation submitted a letter of support for the project.

RMEF provided funding for another in-state project—an $11.3 million structure that includes a wildlife overpass and underpass, two miles of 8-foot-tall exclusion fencing, wildlife escape ramps and road improvements on U.S. Highway 160 at the junction with Colorado Highway 151 between Durango and Pagosa Springs near Chimney Rock National Monument. Since construction finished in 2022, wildlife-vehicle collisions dropped sharply.

RMEF has a long conservation history in Colorado. Dating back to 1987, RMEF and its partners completed 904 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in the Centennial State with a combined value of more than $212.9 million. These projects conserved or enhanced 512,504 acres of habitat and opened or improved public access to 120,252 acres.

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(Photo credit: Colorado Parks and Wildlife)