The Utah Department of Transportation has been awarded a $9.6 million dollar federal grant to make wildlife safety improvements in Wasatch and Duchesne County along Highway 40. According to the UDOT announcement, the project will add 23 miles of wildlife fencing along Highway 40, retrofit three existing wildlife underpasses and add one new underpass from Fruitland to Starvation Reservoir. Crash data shows that 60% of all crashes in the last seven years in this area involved animals. “This grant will help us reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, all while keeping Utah — and even its wildlife populations — moving,” shares UDOT Natural Resources Manager Matt Howard. “These wildlife crossings are vital for safety, as every time an animal crosses under one of these crossings, it is an animal that is not on the road, not a threat to itself and to Utah motorists.” UDOT and DNR have constructed over 60 wildlife crossings across Utah. “Based on existing GPS collar data, we have learned that US-40 is a barrier to wildlife movements,” shares DWR Wildlife Migration Initiative Coordinator Makeda Hanson. “Roadkill reports indicate that animals attempting to cross the busy road are getting hit by vehicles at high rates. The new fencing will reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and funnel wildlife to safe crossing locations that connect habitats across this route.”
