Creating multi‐use highway structures with retrofitted fencing to reduce collisions with elk on Interstate 17 : final report.

Details

• Creators:
  Gagnon, Jeffrey W. ; Loberger, Chad D. ; Sprague, Scott C. ; Boe, Susan R. ; Ogren, Kari S. ; Schweinsburg, Raymond E.
• Corporate Creators:
  Arizona. Game and Fish Department. Wildlife Contracts Branch
• Corporate Contributors:
  Arizona. Department of Transportation
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Before and after studies
  • Costs
  • Evaluation
  • Fences
  • Retrofitting
  • Traffic crashes
  • Wildlife
  • Wildlife crossings Deer
  • deer-vehicle
  • elk
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA-AZ-16-689
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States;Arizona
• Edition:
  Final report
• Corporate Publisher:
  Arizona. Department of Transportation. Research Center
• Abstract:
  In Arizona, vehicle collisions with elk are costly and can be deadly. Dedicated wildlife crossing structures have proven effective for ; elk elsewhere in Arizona. Planned highway reconstruction for Interstate 17 (I‐17) included such wildlife crossing structures, but ; when construction was delayed, an alternative was developed: extending the height of right‐of‐way (ROW) fencing to funnel ; wildlife underneath existing highway bridges and overpasses. After 5.9 mi of ROW fencing (between mileposts 316.8 and 322.7) ; was extended to 8 ft high, this study evaluated its effectiveness in guiding elk to cross under two large bridges and the overpass ; and underpass of two traffic interchanges (TIs).   ; Following the fencing retrofit, researchers documented a 97.5 percent reduction in elk‐vehicle collisions and an 88.9 percent ; decrease in crashes coded “Animal_Wild_Game” by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) along the 5.9‐mi segment of I‐ ; 17. No increase in collisions was reported within the 1‐mi fence end segments or control areas. The researchers documented 217 ; percent and 54 percent increases in elk crossing under the Munds Canyon and Woods Canyon bridges, respectively, but no elk ; use of the modified TIs (Fox Ranch Road and Schnebly Hill Road). Following the retrofit, fence maintenance costs did not increase ; or exceed those of adjacent sections. Using the Huijser et al. (2009) estimated cost of $17,483 per elk‐vehicle collision, the ; documented level of collision reduction will recoup retrofitting costs in less than five years. The findings indicate that fencing ; retrofits can reduce wildlife‐vehicle collisions if given appropriate circumstances, such as adequate size and spacing of existing ; highway structures.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  SPR-689
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/31136/dot_31136_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 5.91 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a867178809aa280e422e4ab47c5e6c822b07d6bd1327fb63d018d13ecced5de01b5a83264f72d51ab9a6736f5e5c9cb649b0b71a2bb217bcc56a90530b420b44