When wildlife cross roads, bad things are bound to happen. But a report out this month shows that constructing crossings for elk, deer and moose aids driver and animal safety.
At least to the tune of a 67% reduction in collisions, according to data collected from 2023-2024 after major wildlife crossing improvements on US Highway 89 south of Jackson.
Since 2015, land managers, elected officials and conservation experts have tracked data on wildlife-vehicle collisions around Teton County. These findings confirm previous reports that show animals are 146% more likely to use crossings than not. This report differs from past reports in that it focuses on the impacts of new crossings.
Fifteen-percent of car crashes in Wyoming involve big game wildlife, killing upwards of 6,000 ungulates each year, according to the Wyldlife Fund.
A key partner in the data collection and fundraising, Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation is optimistic that as animals continue to adapt to the crossings, that number will only shrink.
“It takes animals years to adjust to using the crossing structures,” said JHWF Executive Director Renee Seidler. “Seeing an almost 70% reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions in that first year is pretty phenomenal.”
Following the competition of the Wyoming Department of Transportation projects, more state-funded projects in Teton County might be a ways out. But that could change as more funding becomes available, said WYDOT spokesperson Stephanie Harsha.
Teton Pass Weigh Station, just over a mile of the Moose-Wilson road and six miles of South Park Loop road also make WYDOT’s list of wildlife crossing priorities, set at the 2018 Wyoming Wildlife and Roadways Summit. Harsha said WYDOT incorporates animal crossings into its ongoing roadway improvement projects.
“A perfect example is the Snake River Bridge replacement and 390 intersection, where WYDOT partnered with the County to add wildlife crossings,” Harsha said in an email.
This week, three sightings of moose-vehicle collisions were reported on social media near the Idaho-Wyoming stateline on Teton Pass, a known hotspot for moose collisions according to JHWF data. KHOL could not independently verify this week’s reports by press time.
Seidler said other potential areas for improvement could include Highway 89 north of town and Highway 191 east of Hoback.
“We continue to look for minor adjustments in fencing and access points that can further reduce those collisions,” said Chris Colligan, Teton County’s public works project manager, in a press release for the project. “We also are using lessons learned from this project as we design and build other wildlife crossing structures in Teton County.”
