$33 Million Secured For First Wildlife Crossing Over I-5 In Oregon

Blacktail deer, elk and other critters will benefit from a new wildlife crossing coming to Southern Oregon over I-5, thanks to $33 million secured for the state Department of Transportation.

The Mariposa Preserve Wildlife Crossing between Ashland and the California border will not only be the first over the busy interstate in Oregon, but is being touted as “among the largest in the nation” and will also increase safety for travelers.

The funding package was announced today by Oregon U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and the money comes via the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highways Administration Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program and the Inflation Reduction Act. It will build off a $400,000 grant awarded earlier this year for this and another project’s design and engineering.

“I’ve long championed efforts to strengthen the Cascade-Siskiyou (National Monument) 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,” said Merkley.

ODOT Director Kris Strickler thanked the senators and other federal partners for the fully funded grant.

The crossing will be built at around milepost 1.7 and tie into an existing wildlife corridor.

Southern Oregon is known for its migratory blacktails, some of which grow to pretty respectable sizes.

“This is a monumental step for sportsmen and women, for habitat connectivity improvements, and for wildlife vehicle collision reductions in Oregon. The Oregon Hunters Association looks forward to continuing our support during construction of this vitally important wildlife crossing overpass,” said Tyler Dungannan, conservation coordinator for the Oregon Hunters Association, which is based in nearby Medford.