ODOT receives $33.2 million federal grant to build first Interstate 5 wildlife overcrossing in southern Oregon

ASHLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A $33.2 million federal grant will allow the Oregon Department of Transportation to build the state's first wildlife overcrossing over Interstate 5 in southern Oregon's Cascade Siskiyou National Monument. It's also the first such crossing for the entire stretch of I-5 between Mexico and Canada.

The Federal Highway Administration grant was announced Friday.  

“With this significant investment of federal funding, ODOT can now provide a new connection for wildlife in an ecologically diverse area,” said ODOT Director Kris Strickler. “This will improve safety for drivers on I-5 by reducing wildlife collisions. I want to thank our federal partners for making this project possible by fully funding ODOT’s grant request.” 

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. 

“What a huge win for Southern Oregon! This first-ever I-5 wildlife crossing in Oregon will be instrumental in safeguarding all the special species that call the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument home, while protecting drivers from dangerous wildlife collisions and costly damages to their vehicles,” said U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley.

“I’ve long championed efforts to strengthen the Cascade-Siskiyou area, and this latest federal investment I pushed to secure will certainly go a long way toward protecting drivers and the diverse wildlife that are entwined with this spectacular landscape that’s unlike anywhere in the world.” 

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.  

There are currently six wildlife undercrossings in the state, including five under U.S. Highway 97 in Central Oregon and one under U.S. 20. Their construction has led to an 86% decrease in vehicle-wildlife collisions. Recent data shows the average cost of a vehicle collision with a deer is $9,000, and $24,000 for a collision with an elk. Future sites for wildlife overcrossings on U.S. 20 are under review in Central Oregon.  

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 a wildlife crossing.

"We are grateful for all the hard work our partners have put in to help bring the project to fruition," said Darrin Neavoll, ODOT Region 3 manager. "This project means a lot to a lot of people."  

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Senator Jeff Merkley news release:

Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $33 Million for Southern Oregon Critical Wildlife Crossing

Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is receiving $33,182,188 in federal funding to construct the Mariposa Preserve Wildlife Crossing over I-5 in Southern Oregon through the heart of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Once complete, the wildlife crossing will be among the largest in the nation to significantly improve the movement of a wide-array of animals, while increasing the safety of drivers traveling on I-5 between Ashland and the California border. 

This historic investment comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highways Administration Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program—made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act—and builds off the $400,000 community-initiated project that Merkley and Wyden secured earlier this year for the design and engineering phase of the project, which was needed to reach today’s milestone.

“What a huge win for Southern Oregon! This first-ever I-5 wildlife crossing in Oregon will be instrumental in safeguarding all the special species that call the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument home, while protecting drivers from dangerous wildlife collisions and costly damages to their vehicles,” said Merkley. “I’ve long championed efforts to strengthen the Cascade-Siskiyou area, and this latest federal investment I pushed to secure will certainly go a long way toward protecting drivers and the diverse wildlife that are entwined with this spectacular landscape that’s unlike anywhere in the world.”

“Ensuring that native species have safe access across I-5 not only protects sensitive ecosystems affected by large roadways, but it also helps increase safety for motorists,” said Wyden. “This investment in wildlife crossing infrastructure that serves both the environment and Oregonians is exactly what I fought for in the Inflation Reduction Act, and I will continue to advocate for more resources that support these important projects across Oregon.”

“With this significant investment of federal funding, ODOT can now provide a new connection for wildlife in an ecologically diverse area. This will improve safety for drivers on I-5 by reducing wildlife collisions. I want to thank our federal partners for making this project possible by fully funding ODOT’s grant request,” said ODOT Director Kris Strickler.

The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument protects a wealth of biodiversity and connectivity for wildlife—including deer, bear, elk, cougars, and many small animals—which all face great risk as I-5 bisects the connectivity of this monument. The Mariposa Preserve Overcrossing, which will be located at approximately milepost 1.7 within the monument, will reconstruct a previously naturally occurring wildlife corridor to increase habitat connectivity and allow the animals to adapt to changing climate conditions. This will drastically reduce harm to wildlife, protect drivers, and improve public safety in the region.

A quote sheet from organizations and individuals supporting the Mariposa Preserve Wildlife Crossing Project can be found by clicking here.