A federal grant award of more than $33 million will allow the Oregon Department of Transportation to construct a wildlife crossing over Interstate 5 in the Cascade- Siskiyou National Monument in southern Jackson County.
The Federal Highway Administration said it will be the first wildlife overcrossing for Oregon and the entire stretch of I-5 between Canada and Mexico.
The grant award will go toward construction of a wildlife overpass on I-5 just north of the Oregon-California border. The location is within the Mariposa Preserve, part of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
Funding will allow for construction of an overpass spanning the northbound and southbound lanes, directional fencing to funnel wildlife to the structure, and associated habitat improvements. The purpose of a wildlife crossing is to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions which threaten the safety of both motorists and wildlife, and to reconnect critical wildlife habitat.
In addition to the FHWA grant award, ODOT will provide matching funds of $3.8 million for a total project cost of $37 million. The required match comes from a $7 million allocation to wildlife corridors by the Oregon Legislature with the passage of House Bill 5202 in 2022.
ODOT has collaborated with the Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition -- a group of governmental, nonprofit and tribal partners -- to develop a plan and support for the wildlife crossing.
There are currently six wildlife undercrossings in the state including five under US Highway 97 and one under US Highway 20. Their construction has led to an 86% decrease in vehicle-wildlife collisions. Future sites for wildlife overcrossings on US Highway 20 are under review in Central Oregon.
