FLAGSTAFF, AZ — A new $15.8 million wildlife overpass under construction south of Flagstaff aims to reduce the number of dangerous collisions between vehicles and animals on Interstate 17.
Mitch Bowen knows firsthand the danger of wildlife encounters on Arizona highways. While driving his Chevy Colorado over 70 mph on I-17 from his Doney Park home in Flagstaff, he suddenly faced two elk in his path.
"I knew I had to keep hold of the steering wheel. You're going to go underneath the truck next to you or go flying somewhere else," Bowen said.
Though Bowen and his wife survived the collision, both elk and his truck were destroyed in the impact. He had less than three feet to react while traveling at highway speeds.
According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, more than 2,000 crashes involving wildlife occurred in 2023. Of those incidents, more than 240 resulted in injuries, and four were deadly.
To address this ongoing safety concern, ADOT and Arizona Game & Fish began construction on a new wildlife overpass in April, located 12 miles south of Flagstaff. The project, costing $15.8 million, is expected to be completed in fall 2025.
The overpass will span approximately 100 feet wide and will be exclusively for wildlife use, with no pedestrian or off-road vehicle access permitted.
Audrey Navarro, biology program manager at ADOT, explained how animals will be guided to use the new structure.
"We're going to be installing wildlife fencing, or game fencing. Which will funnel elk and deer to this crossing area," Navarro said.
The project will include planting native vegetation like western wheat grass to help guide wildlife during their natural migration patterns. However, Navarro noted that wildlife adaptation to the new crossing won't happen immediately.
"It typically takes a few years to acclimate," she said.
ADOT advises drivers who encounter wildlife on highways to slow down, stay in their lane, and be prepared to stop if possible.
As for Bowen, he found an unexpected silver lining to his unfortunate collision. After obtaining a big game salvage permit from the responding officer, he was able to harvest meat from the elk.
"Elk meat is fantastic," Bowen said. "We'll eat this for two years!"
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