Absolutely! In Banff National Park, cameras have recorded almost 250,000 crossings by various species since the early 2000s. These crossings are like highways for animals, helping them move safely.

Not all animals are the same. Some like to stroll over open air bridges, while others prefer cozy tunnels. For example, grizzly bears, elk, moose and deer prefer wildlife crossings that are high, wide and short in length, including overpasses. Cougars and black bears prefer long, low and narrow crossings. To accommodate all species, a mix of crossing types works best for the animals who use them.

To guide animals to the crossings, it is important to have fencing to funnel them to the underpass or overpass. Imagine a series of bridges and tunnels over and under the road every few kilometres, connected by fences. This makes such animals stay off the highway and find their way to safe crossings.

Some species, such as grizzly bears and wolverines, have large home ranges and low reproduction rates. Sustaining healthy wildlife communities means making sure animals can move safely. When individuals can disperse, find mates and reproduce successfully, they preserve their genetic diversity. Maintaining connections among wildlife means they can move, and that means they can breed. This helps the entire population succeed.

Grizzly bear researchers have found genetics in bear groups split by Highway 3 are already distinct. This busy road is directly impacting their genetic diversity and health. Wolverine numbers are very low in the United States and will disappear if not re-connected to Canadian populations. Highway 3 is a direct threat to this connection.

Reconnecting animals not only saves them from being roadkill, but helps their populations thrive into the future.   

Wildlife crossings help species of all sizes and kinds thrive. That includes large animals like grizzly bears, black bears, elk and moose as well as smaller ones, such as coyotes, lynx, foxes, western toads and salamanders. Elk are often one of the first large species to use an overpass, sometimes even while it is under construction!

On Highway 3, mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, and bighorn sheep are the four most common species in wildlife-vehicle collisions.

While it might seem like an easy lunch for a predator, surprisingly, research shows that carnivores don’t use crossings to trap prey. We continue keep a close eye on this, but so far it seems wildlife crossings and fencing do not cause major issues for smaller prey.

Ensuring these wildlife crossings work is a top priority. We are using various monitoring strategies, including tracking radio-collared grizzly bears and elk in the area. We have placed dozens of remote cameras under and around the structures to monitor wildlife activity before and after construction. Additionally, we’re keeping a close eye on roadkill numbers to measure the project’s impact. Our goal is to cut the number of collisions on this deadly stretch of highway by up to 90 per cent. 

Together, wildlife crossing structures and fencing are proven to work at reducing animal strikes. In Banff National Park, collisions between vehicles with elk and deer dropped more than 96% with the crossing system in place. This is good news for wildlife numbers. For example, fewer collisions and safer crossings have given grizzly bears in Banff room to roam and keeps them connected across the Trans-Canada Highway that cuts across their habitat. When wildlife populations are not fractured, they can find mates and have more offspring.  

Governments usually pay for crossings, but private funding is crucial for monitoring and spreading the word about these incredible structures. These structures often pay for themselves through fewer collisions, injuries, property damage, insurance and emergency responder time, in 10 years or less. They also improve wildlife viewing and hunting opportunities by keeping our iconic animals from becoming roadkill.  

While signs can help warn people, the best solution is giving animals safe passage over and under roads with crossings and fences. It’s the most effective way to keep everyone safe. 

For overpasses, experts say wider is better: 40-70 meters. Underpasses need to be at 10 meters wide and 4 meters high. These are the best dimensions for a cost-effective crossing wildlife will use. 

Crossings work, but they can be expensive. For now, they are built in the most important connectivity corridors or high collision zones. Ideally, it is always best to not have highways or railways through wildlife habitat in the first place. 

Yes, too much human activity can disturb the animals. It’s best to limit walking, biking, quadding and sledding near, in, or on the crossings.  

Gates are installed so pedestrians can navigate the fencing if needed.  

The two major reasons the location for this project was chosen is because 1) the Alexander-Michel corridor connects wildlife moving north-south between Canada and the United States and east-west between B.C. and Alberta and 2) its unfortunate distinction as one of B.C.‘s top wildlife collision hotspots — three of the province’s top 10 wildlife collision hotspots are here. In the Elk Valley, 25 per cent of elk deaths and 30 per cent of grizzly bear deaths are because those animals were hit by vehicles. 
 
The precise locations for the crossing structures were chosen based on decades of wildlife movement data, collision reports, and the expertise of locals. Engineering considerations, such as avoiding unstable ground, also played a crucial role. 

There are three major corridors linking this landscape for wildlife so this location is key for crossings.  

One wildlife corridor is between Coleman and Sentinel, another between Coleman and Blairmore and the last is on eastern edge of the Frank Slide and Burmis. Here, the Rock Creek site and drainage is key to keeping cougars, grizzly bears, badgers, bobcats, wolves and other animals moving. We know this based on years of data and observations from Miistakis Institute of the Rockies, Western Transportation Institute, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, local biologist Dale Paton and RoadWatch data. 

The 2020-2025 project on Highway 3 that stretches from east of Hosmer, B.C. to the Alberta border is forecasted to cost around $20 million. This includes $3 million in fencing, $14 million for the overpass, $1 million in retrofitting bridges, and $2 million for two underpasses.  

The annual cost of nearly 200 large mammal collisions is nearly $3 million, so we anticipate the system of crossings will pay for itself within 20 years — well before the crossing structures’ 75-year lifespan. 

The East Kootenay region is home to many wildlife-friendly initiatives. An underpass is currently under construction west of Jaffray as part of the highway twinning project. To the north, near Radium, a bighorn sheep overpass is being built.  

The Lizard Creek Bridge west of Fernie has two wildlife trails under it, with the intent to install future wildlife fencing to direct wildlife. We’re also in the planning stages for a wildlife passage as part of the replacement of the Big Sands Bridge east of Jaffray.