North Carolina Construction News staff writer
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will receive $25 million in federal government funds for the US-64 Red Wolf Crossings Project.
The US Department of Transportation listed the project among $125 million in grants for 16 wildlife crossing projects in 16 states, including one Native American Tribe. The funding is available through the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, a new grant program in its second round of awards that was created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The NC funds will be used to “install multiple wildlife underpass structures and fencing along US-64 within the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in Dare County,” says the federal documentation released on Dec. 20. “The project will reduce wildlife- vehicle collisions, support the Red Wolf Recovery Program, and increase habitat connectivity for wildlife within the refuge, including the endangered red wolf, black bear, and white-tailed deer.”
The purpose of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program is to improve safety for motorists and wildlife by reducing vehicle collisions with wildlife while also improving habitat connectivity and supporting the survival of threatened or endangered species. The funding supports studies and projects that construct wildlife crossings over and below busy roads, add fencing to direct animals to the crossings, and monitor performance of crossing systems. Overall, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes a total of $350 million available over five years through FY 2026 under the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program.
Each year, more than one million wildlife vehicle collisions are estimated to impact motorists and wildlife in the U.S. Wildlife-vehicle collisions involving large animals result in approximately 200 human fatalities and 26,000 injuries to drivers and their passengers each year. These collisions also cost the public more than $10 billion annually. This includes economic costs, such as loss of income, medical costs, property damage, and more. Highways can threaten wildlife populations by fragmenting habitats, creating barriers to safe movement, and causing wildlife vehicle collisions.
“Too many Americans are injured or killed each year in crashes involving cars and wildlife, especially in rural areas—which is why our Department created the first-ever program dedicated to crossings that make roads and highways safer for both humans and wildlife,” said outgoing U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the projects moving forward in 16 states will reduce collisions between drivers and wildlife, create places for wildlife to safely move over and under highways, and help preserve American life and property.”
