First Wildlife Crossing Over Interstate 5 in Southwest Oregon Will Cost $33 Million

The first-ever wildlife crossing over Interstate 5 in southwest Oregon will cost $33 million federally funded by the state Department of Transportation.

Protect Drivers from Hazardous Collisions with Wildlife

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says the crossing will protect vehicle drivers from hazardous wildlife collisions around the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. It will also improve the movement of wildlife such as cougars, bears, deer, and elk.

The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is home to animals and plants in a backdrop of forests, grasslands, interior desert, wet meadows, and woodlands. It is a 114,000-acre protected area south of Ashland.

The crossing forms part of a community initiative – the Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition (SOWCC) – to construct a wildlife crossing network throughout southern Oregon and will be one of the largest in the country.

The wildlife crossing was championed by Oregon U.S. senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.