DOUGLAS COUNTY — There is a lot of curiosity about construction on I-25 north of the El Paso/Teller County line and in The Gap.
“This area is very sensitive to us. We have 39,000 acres of protected, continuous habitat,” said Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Environmental Manager, Chuck Attardo.
The project is an overpass, only it is not for vehicles or people, it is for wildlife.
It expands strategies for better coexistence between modern transportation, Colorado wildlife, and ranch land protected by conservation easements.
“It's going to be, depending on how you measure it, the largest overpass wildlife structure in North America, so 200 feet wide,” said Attardo, “We don't know of another structure like that.”
Its susuper-size and location are intentional.
In this area elk herds are found on both sides of I-25.
There are multiple wildlife underpasses along The Gap they sometimes use, but an overpass is better.
“We need to make this thing inviting for elk. That's why the thing is so big. Elk love these big, wide-open spaces. They love sort of having vision for miles when they're going over these crossing structures,” said Attardo.
Studies of other wildlife overpasses show animals get in the habit of migrating across them.
The movement promotes healthier animals because they are better able to mix with other herds and share genetic diversity.
It also prevents wildlife vehicle collisions.
“We're seeing about 92% of the animals who come up to the overpass or underpass go through it, which has made us happy,” said Attardo, “We're seeing about 80% reduction right now in our wildlife vehicle collisions because of that.”
The vision with the addition of the new overpass is a 90% reduction.
The $15 million dollar budget to build the overpass is also an investment in safety for drivers.
Data shows 10% of traffic delays along The Gap are caused by animal collisions.
Those collisions are also expensive.
“In Colorado, there's more than 5000 wildlife vehicle collisions every year. Those collisions cost Colorado drivers more than $80 million.
Installing the overpass is seen as an investment toward countering those costs, while also protecting the state’s cherished natural resources.
Drivers will see the structure, but walls and fencing will shield the animals from view.
It prevents distractions for both drivers and the animals.
The overpass is exclusive, animal only crossing.
“They're not going to use it if people are walking across it all the time.
The timeline shows December 2025 for project completion.
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