Design and construction of an effective wildlife crossing system requires a substantial amount of time, money and attention to site-specific details. The State Highway (SH 9) Colorado River South Wildlife and Safety Improvement Project was the first comprehensive, multi-crossing system constructed in Colorado, and one of the only crossing systems to occur within high concentration winter range for mule deer. The project design started in 2011; at that time, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) engineers and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) biologists had limited experience designing and constructing mitigation projects of this scale. The two-year construction season provided an opportunity to collaborate on the implementation of adaptive management techniques, while the five-year monitoring study allowed for assessment of the effectiveness, performance and durability of the mitigation features over time. Many lessons have been learned on SH 9 and other projects across Colorado, resulting in continued improvements to the design and construction of wildlife crossing structures and other mitigation features.
This presentation will highlight lessons learned on design, construction and maintenance of many of the standard wildlife mitigation features from both CDOT and CPW perspectives. Items addressed will extend beyond crossing structures and include practical recommendations associated with escape ramps, wildlife guards, and fencing. Long-term monitoring projects such as the one on SH 9 provide justification for modifying DOT standards, maximizing project effectiveness and promoting future efforts. In addition, this successful collaboration among CPW, CDOT and other project partners on SH 9 contributed to the development of the Colorado Wildlife Transportation Alliance.