Flathead Indian Reservation – Montana, USA
Located in Western Montana off of the Flathead river, home to 3 different Native American tribes. Established in 1855 this wildlife reservation consists of 1,938 square miles of untouched wilderness. Home to hundreds of species of mammals and birds, this crossing is essential to maintaining the flow of wildlife in the area.
Highway A50 – Netherlands
The A50 highway runs almost completely through the Netherlands, with traffic speeds reaching upwards of 50 MPH, hitting animals would cause serious injury. This crossing funnels the local wildlife safely across the highway.
Animal Crossing – Banff, Alberta, Canada
[Image Source: Flickr]
Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada is one of the premiere wildlife reservations in North America, so protecting the animals from traffic is obviously a main concern. So far, the Park has opened 6 overpasses and 38 underpasses to keep the local wildlife safe.
B38 – Birkenau, Germany
A beautiful ‘ecoduct’ arched crossing passing over the B38 highway in Germany. This crossing does not sport edges to keep the animals from falling, although the naturalistic approach is enough to keep people and wildlife safe.
Crab Bridge – Christmas Island, Australia
Christmas Island is home to thousands of crabs that migrate each year, and this crab bridge was built in a rather intriguing shape. Crabs are obviously much different than other wildlife, so this bridge was built to maximize the ability of traffic to pass underneath while still providing viable passage for crabs.
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Compton Rd – Queensland, Australia
This passageway has lush greenery over top which makes it almost indistinguishable from the surrounding ground. Wildlife crossings that flow easily from the natural landscape create an easier crossing for the local fauna.
Ecoduct de Borkeld A1 – Rijssen, Netherlands
This crossing connects the nature reserve De Borkeld where the A1 passes through. When the highway was designed, great care was taken to disrupt nature as little as possible.
E314 – Genk, Belgium
This 125-kilometer roadway crosses through 3 nations spanning many diverse environments. Designers of this crossing have intentionally kept it bare in order to allow the wildlife to recognize the crossing easier.
Interstate 78 – New Jersey, USA
This wildlife crossing is probably the least aesthetically pleasing on the list, but it gets the job done. Spanning across Interstate 78 in New Jersey, this overgrown crossing keeps cars from striking animals and causing deadly wrecks.
Keechelus Lake – Washington, USA
Keechelus lake is part of the Columbia River Basin where Interstate 90 runs along most of the shoreline. This location is rich in natural beauty, and protecting nature is at the forefront of the engineers in the area.
