The Colorado Department of Transportation has opened a recording-breaking bridge over Interstate 25. But instead of vehicles driving on it, elk, black bears and mountain lions will be its daily users.
The I-25 Greenland wildlife overpass near Larkspur is the largest of its kind in North America at 200 feet wide and 209 feet long, covering almost 42,000 square feet.
The $15 million project was completed in less than one year by Kraemer North America.
Held up by 76 girders over six lanes of interstate traffic, the dirt- and vegetation-covered bridge connects 39,000 acres of habitat. CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew said the overpass is expected to lower wildlife-vehicle crashes by 90% in an area that sees over 100,000 vehicles per day.
As opposed to the I-25 wildlife underpasses already being used by both large and small mammals, the Greenland overpass was designed specifically for elk and pronghorn – which prefer wider structures that suite their antlers – in an area associated with high movement for large game, according to CDOT.
The I-25 Greenland overpass completes an 18-mile system of wildlife crossings built by the I-25 South Gap project and closes a 3.7-mile gap between the nearest wildlife crossings. Before this system was put in place, this portion of I-25 saw one wildlife-vehicle crash per day.
This new overpass was constructed in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Douglas County, the Douglas Land Conservancy and the Colorado Cattleman’s Agricultural Land Trust.
