Proceeds Spotlight: Chimney Rock Wildlife Crossing

This $11.3 million project features a wildlife overpass and underpass, two miles of exclusion fencing, escape ramps, and road improvements on U.S. Highway 160 at the Colorado Highway 151 junction, near Chimney Rock National Monument.

Before its completion in the summer of 2022, over 60% of crashes in the area involved wildlife. The location is a key migration point for elk and deer. GPS data and video surveillance showed elk using the crossings even before construction finished. In its first fall migration season, cameras recorded 1,334 mule deer and 603 elk using the structures, keeping them off the highway and reducing collisions. The project is expected to decrease wildlife-vehicle collisions by 80-90%, protecting both animals and motorists.