Reconnecting the Rockies

Improving safety for animals and people thanks to one of Canada’s most ambitious wildlife crossing systems outside a national park, spanning B.C. and Alberta.

Key Stats

Increase in traffic on Highway 3 through the Elk Valley since 2013
0 %
The annual cost of these crashes in injuries and property damage on this stretch of Highway 3
$ 0 M
Number of reported collisions with large mammals that happen each year between Hosmer, B.C. and Rock Creek in Alberta.
0 +
Project completed
0 %

Roads and wildlife are a deadly mix

The Reconnecting the Rockies project enables animals to safely move across a busy, and deadly, highway in the Canadian Rockies.

The project aims to advance a connected network of wildlife crossing structures and fencing on 80 kilometres of Highway 3 from Hosmer, B.C., through Sparwood, then east into Alberta to Lundbreck. 

Reconnecting the Rockies will reduce deadly crashes between vehicles and animals and will save both lives and money. It marks one of Canada’s most ambitious wildlife crossing systems underway outside a national park.

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What We're Doing ​

Reconnecting the Rockies is a collaborative project to improve landscape-level connectivity across Highway 3 by creating safe crossings for animals large and small, reducing wildlife deaths on the highway and keeping motorists safer.

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How We’re Doing It

Our goal is to create a system of wildlife crossing structures (underpasses, overpasses, retrofitted bridges, and fencing) from B.C.’s Elk Valley to the Crowsnest Pass region in Alberta to reduce risks to motorists and create safe movement of wildlife across Highway 3.

Building a system of crossings under and across Highway 3 will make sure wildlife habitat and ecosystems important in western North America stay connected.

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Trail Cam Photos

An extensive camera network monitors project effectiveness, with over double the number of safe crossings recorded since fence installation at completed sites.

What People Say

"Teck is proud to be joining the Ktunaxa Nation, governments, and our other partners to protect people and wildlife. The Reconnecting the Rockies Project aligns with our goal of becoming Nature Positive by 2030 and will reduce wildlife collisions in the Elk Valley and create a safe crossing for many species including bighorn sheep, elk, grizzly bear, and wolverine."
Jonathan PriceCEO of Teck Resources Limited
"Wildlife highway collisions are a danger to people and animals. By building more safe ways for wildlife to cross highways, we are making our infrastructure safer for drivers on Highway 3 and helping to restore connected habitat."
Rob Flemingformer British Columbia Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
“It is a tremendously important to improve wildlife movement for iconic species in the Canadian Rockies — we applaud efforts by both provincial governments to provide safe options for wildlife to cross Highway 3. Safe movement matters for both people and wildlife."
Tracy LeeMiistakis Institute
"Wildlife collisions impact everyone and it’s inspiring to see so many people coming together to find solutions that keep everyone safer, and saves society money in the long run."
Dr. Clayton LambBiodiversity Pathways
“This project keeps both people and wildlife safe along the Highway 3 corridor and is continentally significant as it helps restore and enable wildlife to move between Canada and the United States.”
Dr. Jodi HiltyYellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative President and Chief Scientist
“The new Highway 3 Wildlife Mitigation initiative is an excellent example of how our recently launched Ecological Corridor’s program is protecting nature in key wildlife corridors. Expanding our network of connected habitats is a vital step in tackling both climate change and biodiversity loss.”
The Honourable Steven Guilbeaultformer Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada 
"The overpasses and the underpasses are long, long overdue. Whenever these highways were designed, they didn’t take into consideration the wildlife corridors, the migration and travel routes of the ungulates. It’s very encouraging for me and my people because the elk is one of the main meats providing food for our people.”
Marty WilliamsKtunaxa Nation member
“The Ktunaxa Nation is committed to reducing impacts to wildlife and improving ecological connectivity throughout ʔamak̓ʔis Ktunaxa and to supporting the work of projects such as the Highway 3 Wildlife Mitigation Initiative to provide protected passage along this key ecological corridor. We are pleased to work alongside our partners to lessen wildlife collisions to provide a safer environment for us all.”
Jaime VienneauOperational Director, Ktunaxa Nation Council, Lands and Resources Sector

Our Partners

Bio Diversity Logo

We aim to create a system of wildlife crossing structures on Highway 3 between Hosmer, B.C. and Lundbreck, Alberta. 

The Project

Reconnecting the Rockies will reduce deadly crashes between vehicles and animals, saving lives and money. This project is one of Canada’s most ambitious wildlife crossing systems underway outside a national park.

Contact Us

info@reconnectingtherockies.ca

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