TxDOT builds animal crossings to reduce collisions, save wildlife
Published: Mon, 09/04/23
TxDOT builds animal crossings to reduce collisions, save wildlife
Killeen Daily Herald
TRACY GLADNEY, KTBS Contributing Writer
TEXARKANA, Texas – The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has been constructing animal crossings under highways in critical areas, not only to save both human and animal lives but also to protect endangered species.
From 2010 to 2017, over 60,000 animal crashes were reported, resulting in 160 human deaths, over 3,000 injuries and costing over $640 million.
The pilot program has seen success as monitoring has shown about 26 different species using the concrete tunnels, such as mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, beavers and endangered ocelots, to name a few.
Originally published on ktbs.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.