© 2024 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New wildlife pass aims to keep animals and drivers safe on the road

 A small herd of elk cross a busy road.
Idaho Transportation Department
A small herd of elk cross a busy road.

Every year, dozens of deer and other animals are hit by cars on Highway 21 between Lucky Peak and Idaho City.

As the wildlife tries to cross the busy highway, animals die, people are injured or killed and drivers face thousands of dollars in damage to their vehicles.

In an effort to slow the carnage, the Idaho Transportation Department built an underpass back in 2010 to funnel mule deer, elk and other animals safely under the highway. Six months after it was completed the number of deer hit by cars dropped dramatically.

Now officials are preparing to build a secondone, this timea wildlife overpass a mile away, to save more animals and drivers from collisions.

Environmental Planner, Scott Rudel and Brian Rick with the Idaho Transporation Department joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

Stay Connected
As Senior Producer of our live daily talk show Idaho Matters, I’m able to indulge my love of storytelling and share all kinds of information (I was probably a Town Crier in a past life!). My career has allowed me to learn something new everyday and to share that knowledge with all my friends on the radio.

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.