Let's protect our wildlife!

If you've traveled on the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park, you've seen these huge wooded wildlife overpasses that are said to have decreased collisions with animals by some 80 percent.

The Interstate 80 that connects New York to San Francisco, runs by Park City and, according to what I've recently read, has seen some 106 fatal accidents in the area, over a two-year period, that included 98 deer, 3 moose, 2 elk, 2 raccoon, and 1 cougar, all struck and killed by cars and trucks.

This continued slaughter has caused a public call for improvements — and the Utah Department of Transportation responded by building its first-ever bridge just for wildlife at the top of Parley Summit, (elevation 7,129 feet).

Now, since wildlife can't read road signs, how will they use that bridge? Apparently, the animals won’t have much choice, as 8-foot-tall wildlife fences have been placed on both sides of the bridge and the freeway on a stretch of about 3.5 miles, on both sides of the freeway.

This fencing will funnel the animals to the other side of the road over the bridge, keeping up with their specific migration patterns.

The new $5 million bridge is 330 feet long and 48 feet wide. This might seem expensive, but based on the above numbers, it should pay for itself in less than 12 years in terms of vehicle damage; I know what I'm talking about as I have hit 3 deer over a 20 year period.

The job will be completed before winter, so expect to see far less roadkill littering the interstate starting in 2019!