Wildlife

For this week's episode of On the Road With ADOT, we invited Biology Program Manager Audrey Navarro to talk more about the I-17 wildlife overpass project and its role not only in enhancing safety but habitat connectivity for elk and other wildlife.

ADOT will use this grant, through the Federal Highway Administration’s Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, to develop an online mapping tool that will help identify wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots, analyze data about collisions and identify wildlife corridors for habitat connectivity.

The safety project, which also will include 8-foot-high fencing, is planned along 8.4 miles of I-17 between the Munds Park traffic interchange, about 25 miles south of Flagstaff, and the Kelly Canyon traffic interchange to the north. 

Did you know that ADOT helps to grow new plants by planting the seeds of native plants along state highways? ADOT gets rid of unwanted, invasive plants along roadsides to help maintain and encourage growth of native plants. 

ADOT helps support tortoise populations by paying attention to where these shelled reptiles may burrow near highways. Before highway construction projects begin, environmental specialists survey the area to identify tortoises that may be living there. Construction and maintenance workers are trained to look for tortoises, too.

Learn about how wildlife species are protected along the Verde River when construction activities occur nearby.

This time of year, crashes involving wildlife are more likely due to monsoon and heavy holiday-related travel. Follow these tips to avoid having a “deer in the headlights” moment.

From sunset to sunup, it’s not uncommon for a dozen vehicle strikes with deer, as well as antelope, elk, bear and other animals, to occur during a single evening as wildlife cross rural roadways. In fact, since 2012, more collisions with animals – wildlife, livestock and family pets – happen in June than nearly every other month – October sees the most. Annually, more than 80 percent of animal-related crashes are with wildlife and 86 percent of crashes involving animals occur in rural areas.

The Ina Road interchange was progressing without any surprises until a furry visitor make an unexpected appearance.

ADOT goes to bat for a couple of flying mammals near the San Pedro River.

If you enjoy receiving your Arizona Highways magazine in your mailbox each month, you might want to check out the publication's coffee table books and guides.

The State Route 77 (Oracle Road) project west of Mt. Lemmon not only adds travel lanes for drivers but has something for bicyclists and wildlife.

ADOT is known for building roads but we also work to protect the wildlife that live near our highways. The desert tortoise is just one of the animals ADOT partners with other agencies to protect.

A little dog that made her way onto SR 51 during Monday evening’s rush hour and miraculously avoided being hit by traffic now has a good home in her future.

ADOT has received a new accolade for its leadership in developing wildlife crossing structures in Arizona.

We’ve got an interesting time-lapse video to share with you today that shows the installation of a wildlife underpass on SR 86.

We just got some really exciting news about the US 93 project (you remember, it’s the one that improved about 15 miles of roadway south of the Hoover Dam – we wrote about it here and here…

Over the past several years, ADOT has worked to transform the highly traveled US 93 between Wickenburg to the Hoover Dam from a two-lane highway to an environmentally friendly four-lane, divided highway. A project of this scale will always present its share of issues, but widening the final section – from Kingman to the Mike O’Callaghan - Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge – provided ADOT with an especially unique challenge …