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New Project: Creating Safe Road Crossing Structures for Small Wildlife Species

Many wildlife crossing structures are designed to create safe passage for large animal species.  However, there is also a need to reduce the impacts of roads on small animal species, including terrestrial mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.  One approach is to adapt road crossing structures that are designed for other purposes (e.g., drainage structures, bridges across streams or rivers, or livestock crossings) so that they are also suitable for small animal species. Through this project, Co-Principal Investigators Marcel Huijser of WTI and Kari Gunson of Eco-Care International will summarize design criteria for structures that provide safe passage across roads, as well as barriers designed to keep these species groups off the highway and guide them towards safe passage opportunities. The team will set up a central repository with case studies, plan sheets for structures and barriers, and lessons learned. The results of this effort will provide transportation planners, road designers, and road builders with a synthesis of the most current information about how best to provide safe passage across roads for small animals and reduce direct road mortality.  Further information is available on the project page on the WTI website.