Wildlife corridor location just north of the Oregon-California border within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

Rogue Valley Times staff report

The planned wildlife crossing project near the Oregon and California border in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is set to receive more than $33 million from the Federal Highway Administration.

It will be the first wildlife overcrossing for Oregon and the first for the entire stretch of Interstate 5 between Mexico and Canada.

The grant, worth $33,200,100, will go toward constructing an overpass spanning the northbound and southbound lanes of I-5 with directional fencing to funnel wildlife through and prevent collisions between animal and vehicles.

“With this significant investment of federal funding, ODOT can now provide a new connection for wildlife in an ecologically diverse area,” Oregon Department of Transportation Director Kris Strickler said Friday. “This will improve safety for drivers on I-5 by reducing wildlife collisions. I want to thank our federal partners for making this project possible by fully funding ODOT’s grant request.”

The wildlife corridor location is just north of the Oregon-California border within the Mariposa Preserve.

In addition to the $33 million grant, ODOT will provide matching funds of $3,799,900 for the total project cost of $37 million.

“What a huge win for Southern Oregon,” Oregon U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley said. “This first-ever I-5 wildlife crossing in Oregon will be instrumental in safeguarding all the special species that call the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument home, while protecting drivers from dangerous wildlife collisions and costly damages to their vehicles.

“I’ve long championed efforts to strengthen the Cascade-Siskiyou area, and this latest federal investment I pushed to secure will certainly go a long way toward protecting drivers and the diverse wildlife that are entwined with this spectacular landscape that’s unlike anywhere in the world,” Merkley said.

There are currently six wildlife undercrossings in the state, including five along U.S. Route 97 and one under U.S. Route 20. Their construction has led to a 86% decrease in vehicle-wildlife collisions, according to ODOT.

The Oregon Department of Transportation collaborated with governmental, nonprofit and tribal partners, and the Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition to develop a plan to support wildlife crossing.

This story first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.

Related story:

Congress OKs $400,000 toward I-5 wildlife overcrossing project (March 26, 2024)

Wildlife crossing planned for Siskiyou Summit (Sept. 29, 2023)

KS Wild Side: Wildlife may benefit from new crossing corridors (July 15, 2023)

Writers on the Range: No one wants to collide with a deer (March 27, 2023)

KS Wild Side: Making roads safer for people and wildlife (Feb. 16, 2022)