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OneGrassRoot

(22,917 posts)
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 12:23 AM Jul 2012

What a GREAT idea: Wildlife Bridges!

Some of you are no doubt familiar with this concept, but I think tonight is the first time I've seen this, and I think it's BRILLIANT!








"As discussed in fastcodesign.com’s article “Can a Wildlife Bridge Fix America’s $8 Billion Roadkill Problem?” the safety of wildlife is an ever-present danger — and tragedy — on our highways.

Wildlife overpasses, green bridges, and ecoducts all refer to structures that have been built over roads to allow wildlife to cross safely to the other side of the road. The bridges are for the animals; the animals walk over the road, and the vehicles go through the structure. Here are pictures of a few existing wildlife bridges or ecoducts."

CLICK HERE to see more images: http://www.ourcollectivegood.com/animals-ecology-wildlife/wildlife-bridges/


43 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
What a GREAT idea: Wildlife Bridges! (Original Post) OneGrassRoot Jul 2012 OP
Great Idea! CaliforniaPeggy Jul 2012 #1
good idea but deer for example have problems understanding road sugns loli phabay Jul 2012 #2
underpasses (combined with funneling fences) work pretty well with deer fishwax Jul 2012 #5
problem is you would have to have a 12 foot high fence running all along the road loli phabay Jul 2012 #9
Gotta keep those fences maintained. freshwest Jul 2012 #15
Wasn't that a line from The West Wing? TheMightyFavog Jul 2012 #17
K and R Mosby Jul 2012 #3
Not a bad idea, or an unfamiliar one Scootaloo Jul 2012 #4
They have been building these for over 20 year now hollysmom Jul 2012 #6
island going underwater with deer? n/t tru Jul 2012 #10
well, it is the end of the island hollysmom Jul 2012 #41
animals tru Jul 2012 #42
Unbelievably awesome! We should make this happen across the country. nt Skip Intro Jul 2012 #7
Yes, I've heard of these in Europe. Would like to see them implemented here, but alas... freshwest Jul 2012 #8
we've got them here, though underpasses are much more common than overpasses fishwax Jul 2012 #13
I saw one in WA, but not enough, thanks for the info upthread. n/t freshwest Jul 2012 #14
Underpasses make a lot of sense... OneGrassRoot Jul 2012 #28
... OneGrassRoot Jul 2012 #27
In Australia, they build koala underpasses and bridges: onestepforward Jul 2012 #11
We have them in AZ DesertRat Jul 2012 #12
Hey, good for you guys! Things are looking up from the number of posts I see on the thread. freshwest Jul 2012 #16
Hey! I see a couple good spots for a tree stand! Just kidding. I don't hunt. n/t brewens Jul 2012 #18
rofl i didnt want to say it, but would be a good place to set up and wait until they wander over. loli phabay Jul 2012 #19
for what possible reason would you want to do this Beringia Jul 2012 #36
erm meat. loli phabay Jul 2012 #40
loli tru Jul 2012 #43
I have only seen these in Baniff Nat. Park in Canada. I bet insurance company's would LOVE these Quixote1818 Jul 2012 #20
And wildlife underpasses - IDemo Jul 2012 #21
Beautiful! OneGrassRoot Jul 2012 #23
I don't know how effective they are, but these have been constructed in Arkansas, also. Arkansas Granny Jul 2012 #24
Highly effective, according to the linked article IDemo Jul 2012 #25
Nice, but not enough cover quaker bill Jul 2012 #22
This is the America I love. FarPoint Jul 2012 #26
New Jersey has some flyingfysh Jul 2012 #29
They built a tunnel under a road in Africa for the elephants. It's used often. HopeHoops Jul 2012 #30
awesome! handmade34 Jul 2012 #31
Mitch McConnell hates President Obama so much, he voted against his own best interest. Snarkoleptic Jul 2012 #32
OMG that video BumRushDaShow Jul 2012 #34
omg...lololol OneGrassRoot Jul 2012 #37
Very cool! Odin2005 Jul 2012 #33
that is great Beringia Jul 2012 #35
I love the simplicity of solutions for ecological disasters lunatica Jul 2012 #38
There's a 'land bridge' over I-75 near Ocala,FL but it's intended for hikers and equestrians. Edweird Jul 2012 #39
 

loli phabay

(5,580 posts)
2. good idea but deer for example have problems understanding road sugns
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 12:34 AM
Jul 2012

so you will still get them crossing over at other places rather than walking up to the bridge.

fishwax

(29,146 posts)
5. underpasses (combined with funneling fences) work pretty well with deer
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 12:56 AM
Jul 2012

It's true that deer can't read road signs, but they (like most animals) would rather walk on soil than on concrete, so tend to find such crossings. (The fences help, too, I suppose.)

http://www.thecleanestline.com/2009/02/mule-deer-and-underpasses.html

 

loli phabay

(5,580 posts)
9. problem is you would have to have a 12 foot high fence running all along the road
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 01:14 AM
Jul 2012

its a good idea but deer will probuably still get hit, just less and probuably save some lives as well.

 

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)
4. Not a bad idea, or an unfamiliar one
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 12:50 AM
Jul 2012

But it could stand to be expanded.

I wonder how practical several series of these could be, or even a sort of continuous cover over the highway, with enough gaps for ventilation?

On second thought, we can barely keep our commercial overpasses from falling apart, so... Maybe not.

hollysmom

(5,946 posts)
6. They have been building these for over 20 year now
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 01:01 AM
Jul 2012

At least on highway I commuted on had them up over 20 years ago. Route 78 NJ. I have never read a study on then helping, but it is hilly, so it is easier to do that there, down the beach, it would be petty hard to build on flat sandy area.

Speaking of that, there is an Island going under water with deer, I wonder if they will be moved?

hollysmom

(5,946 posts)
41. well, it is the end of the island
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 05:50 PM
Jul 2012

erosion is very bad the past few years. it is a bird preserve with deer, rabbits and red foxes. People think I make this up on the island, but the rangers told me they are there and I have seen them when the wander into the populated part walking my dog in the dark. All that will be left in a few years is the part with houses and cars unless they move these animals.

 

tru

(237 posts)
42. animals
Mon Jul 23, 2012, 08:19 AM
Jul 2012

I leave bird seed and unsalted shelled peanuts on my deck and it's amazing the animals I see. This is a residential area with a few vacant overgrown lots, and there are foxes, raccoons, groundhogs, opossums, skunks, rabbits, \etc. Several blocks away, in a more wooded area there are deer and turkeys.

freshwest

(53,661 posts)
8. Yes, I've heard of these in Europe. Would like to see them implemented here, but alas...
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 01:13 AM
Jul 2012

It is an infrastructure solution that does not serve to profit some corporation, landowner or developer. It is simply a common good, a moral and human solution. Currently we are being ruled by those who do not believe in that. We have to change the hearts of people and get away from this culture of death to one that loves the living more than money. Thanks for the inspiring post, OneGrassRoot.


fishwax

(29,146 posts)
13. we've got them here, though underpasses are much more common than overpasses
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 01:40 AM
Jul 2012

Here's an article about a series of underpasses that helped protect mule deer migratory routes in Wyoming: http://www.thecleanestline.com/2009/02/mule-deer-and-underpasses.html

And here are a couple of wildlife overpasses in Washington and Montana ...




DesertRat

(27,995 posts)
12. We have them in AZ
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 01:39 AM
Jul 2012

We have successful wildlife bridges and tunnels along Highway 260 in the Arizona mountains. Here's an underpass for elk:


And a bypass for Bighorn sheep near Hoover Dam:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/02/21/20110221hoover-dam-bridge-bypass-bighorn-sheep.html

 

loli phabay

(5,580 posts)
19. rofl i didnt want to say it, but would be a good place to set up and wait until they wander over.
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 02:31 AM
Jul 2012

Quixote1818

(28,904 posts)
20. I have only seen these in Baniff Nat. Park in Canada. I bet insurance company's would LOVE these
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 02:58 AM
Jul 2012

They would save so much money in insurance payouts for people who hit animals. Maybe insurance companies could lead the way on this?

IDemo

(16,926 posts)
25. Highly effective, according to the linked article
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 08:48 AM
Jul 2012

From 1979 to 2001, cars killed 159 deer in the area of the wildlife underpass — about seven per year.

The number killed in that area this migration season: zero.

quaker bill

(8,223 posts)
22. Nice, but not enough cover
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 07:15 AM
Jul 2012

some of the other pictures feature more effective design. Many smaller critters will not traverse an opening in cover that long, because the predators will snag them. The photo of the bridge with trees is an example of a more effective design. Underpasses seem to work well as they afford better cover.

FarPoint

(12,209 posts)
26. This is the America I love.
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 09:11 AM
Jul 2012

The focus being on conservation and preservation of this beautiful land of liberty.

flyingfysh

(1,990 posts)
29. New Jersey has some
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 09:35 AM
Jul 2012

They are on I-78. My wife and I used to drive under them when we would go to visit her mom.

handmade34

(22,755 posts)
31. awesome!
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 10:25 AM
Jul 2012

and this is what we get from Republicans here in the United States (remarks in 2009 in response to Stimulus money)...


"...(Tom) Coburn also criticized a $3.4 million Florida Department of Transportation project for an "eco-passage" — an underground wildlife road crossing for turtles and other wildlife in Lake Jackson, Fla., along U.S. 27.
"Why did the turtle cross the road? To get to the other side of a stimulus project," the Coburn report says.

Josh Boan, the Florida Transportation Department's natural resources manager, said a large number of turtles and other wildlife are killed in the area. In addition to protecting wildlife, he said the project is needed for safety: turtles hit by vehicles can become flying projectiles..."

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
38. I love the simplicity of solutions for ecological disasters
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 02:00 PM
Jul 2012

Overpasses and underpasses save hundreds if not thousands of animals and people from accidents.

And the designs are also elegant.

 

Edweird

(8,570 posts)
39. There's a 'land bridge' over I-75 near Ocala,FL but it's intended for hikers and equestrians.
Sun Jul 22, 2012, 02:01 PM
Jul 2012
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/regions/crossflorida/trails/landbridge.htm

Or maybe somebody was clever enough to 'couch' it as human-centric with another intent in mind.
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