DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO — Senator Michael Bennet joined Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shoshana Lew and the project team at the construction site of what will be the world’s largest bridge structure over an interstate for wildlife. The I-25 Greenland Wildlife Overpass, located between Larkspur and Monument, Colorado, will allow wildlife to safely cross, greatly reducing animal vehicle collisions. In an update on the project’s progress, CDOT said it has reached 50 percent completion.

"Colorado is leading the nation in protecting our treasured wildlife by building the world's largest safe passage for animals like elk and moose,” Bennet said. “This Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investment will lead to a 90 percent reduction in wildlife fatalities and make this busy stretch of I-25 safer for drivers and animals alike."

"This overpass is the final link in a system that will make I-25 safer for both drivers and wildlife. By completing the wildlife crossing network from Castle Rock to Monument, we expect to cut vehicle-animal collisions by 90 percent," Lew said. "This is an achievement for both public safety and conservation, and it is a result of the support from our federal delegation, Douglas County, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and many other partners."

With the project reaching the halfway point, the structure to support the bridge has gone up. This includes the foundation work of piers and columns and 76 girders (38 over each direction of I-25). The remaining work includes building the bridge superstructure over the girders, pouring the concrete bridge deck and tying into abutments, building walls, grading slopes, preparing the soil and wildlife landscaping, and installing wildlife fencing. The bridge structure is expected to be completed in late 2025 with landscaping and other work to finish in 2026.

The overpass addresses specific needs for elk and pronghorn that move around in the Greenland area, depending on the season. Both species prefer to cross open structures that provide clear and open sight lines. This stretch of I-25 between Castle Rock and Monument experienced one wildlife vehicle crash a day in the spring and fall seasons. The overpass, in combination with five nearby wildlife underpasses, will greatly improve safe passage for Colorado drivers and wildlife.