CDOT Study Reveals 85% Drop in Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions Following Interstate 70 Underpass Construction

DENVER, Colorado — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) published comprehensive safety findings on September 25, 2026, demonstrating that an engineered wildlife underpass and exclusion fencing system installed along Interstate 70 west of Denver has decreased wildlife-vehicle collisions by more than 85 percent. The empirical data marks a major engineering success in mitigating dangerous collisions between mountain traffic and native wildlife herds.

Constructed through a high-risk migratory corridor between Golden and Idaho Springs, the project incorporates a spacious subterranean concrete underpass beneath six lanes of highway traffic, paired with eight-foot wildlife fencing that safely channels elk, deer, and bighorn sheep beneath the roadway. CDOT infrared camera arrays recorded thousands of successful animal passages during the monitoring period, confirming that herds have established routine migration routes without attempting to traverse high-speed highway lanes.

Highway safety experts noted that eliminating large-animal collisions prevents serious motorist injuries, reduces highway closures, and saves drivers millions in automotive insurance losses each year. CDOT leadership affirmed that the demonstrated success of the I-70 underpass will guide the architectural blueprints for future wildlife crossing corridors slated for development along Interstate 25 and U.S. 160 across Colorado.