UDOT

New fencing project will safely direct wildlife through freeway underpass

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is currently installing nearly three miles of wildlife fencing near Echo Junction in Summit County.

The new fencing will line the outside perimeter of Echo Junction (I-84 and I-80), north of the Echo Reservoir. Officials said the fencing is built to funnel wildlife to a nearby freeway under crossing.

This new fencing constitutes phase one of a seven-phase project to enhance safety and reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions near Echo Junction. Further phases of the project will include constructing fencing north, east and south along I-80 and I-84.

“This is a major hotspot for wildlife,” said Matt Howard, UDOT’s natural resources manager. “We’re focused on reducing the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions, and this new fencing will save the lives both of humans on the road and wildlife nearby,”

The total project cost for this phase is $2.3 million. This stretch of fencing is being partially funded by nearly $350,000 in grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and other stakeholders, including support from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and several local conservation organizations.

While UDOT occasionally builds wildlife fencing in conjunction with other projects, this is its first exclusive fencing project of 2024. UDOT also manages over 60 wildlife crossings throughout the state. 

“We are so grateful to partners like UDOT who are helping improve wildlife connectivity and make safer migrations,” DWR Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative Coordinator Makeda Hanson said. “Roads can be a major barrier to wildlife movement. However some individual animals or herds will attempt to cross roads even when high traffic occurs in a particular area. 

Hanson said wildlife fencing plays an important role in keeping wildlife safe by directing them to safer crossing locations, like large culverts and underpasses. “We use many tools to ensure wildlife can still make important migrations between different habitat areas,” Hanson said.

Construction is scheduled to finish in November, with minimal impacts to traffic except for occasional ramp closures.