Why do animals cross the road? Some are just migrating. Others seek food or mates. But whatever the case, they aren’t likely to pay much attention to traffic — and that can mean disaster. Every year in the U.S., an estimated 350 million animals and more than 400 people die in animal-car crashes. And even crashes that don’t claim lives still cost an average of over $4,100, according to insurers — which all adds up to billions in annual damages. 

That’s why animal crossings have become so popular. These specialized over- or underpasses allow wild animals — from wolves and bears to moose, deer, elk, and even butterflies — to pass safely. They’re typically covered with vegetation and terrain to make them more attractive to animals and may be fenced and off-limits to humans. According to one study, animals are 146% more likely to use one than a random stretch of road. Another long-term investigation showed that crossings reduced accidents by greater than 80% annually.

Of course, crossings don’t just magically appear out of the mist like a clueless cervid. Infrastructure costs money. A study published in 2021 by Washington State University researcher Wisnu Sugiarto found that the average cost of a wildlife crossing ranged from $500,000 to $6.2 million, depending on the length, materials, and geographic complexity of the project. 

Some would call that a bargain. “There’s virtually no other transportation infrastructure that’s going to get you this kind of return on investment,” says Renee Callahan, executive director of ARC Solutions, a nonprofit organization that promotes the development of wildlife crossings. 

Sure, ARC is an advocacy group, but the research backs up its claims. These crossings netted annual savings of $235,000 to $443,000 per structure in terms of collisions prevented, according to Sugiarto’s study.

The near-term outlook for wildlife crossings is favorable. The infrastructure bill passed by the U.S. Congress in 2021 included $350 million in grant funding specifically for these projects. If all that money is actually spent on building new crossings, the U.S. could add somewhere between 56 and 700, which, according to Sugiarto’s math, would save at least $13 million annually — and as much as $310 million. 

That means the investment could pay itself off in less than two years, and you can’t put a price tag on the human and animal lives saved. It’s the rare transportation infrastructure win that anyone can applaud — whether they have hands, hooves, or paws.

Carl Franzen is Rev’s contributing editor.

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