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I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition
Just east of Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, the state Department of Transportation is proposing to expand Interstate 90 from four lanes to six. This is a critical issue for wildlife because the interstate lies in the middle of key wildlife corridors.
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Detailed Information:
Just east of Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, the state Department of Transportation is proposing to expand Interstate 90 from four lanes to six.
This stretch of freeway cuts across several north-south wildlife corridors that must be protected and restored to preserve healthy wildlife populations. Between 1991 and 2001 over 240 ungulates (deer and elk) were hit by motorists within this 15-mile stretch of highway and killed. In the last year, the project manager for Project CAT of Fish and Wildlife service has lost 2 mountain lions on the interstate. He noted that through his tracking capabilities he knows his cats hang around close to the interstate in the nearby forests. In addition to these large mammals, we have lost large numbers of salamanders and other smaller species to the roadway.
State citizens and the US Congress have spent tens of millions of dollars over the last few years to acquire and protect habitat within these corridors.
The freeway expansion, known as I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East, can actually improve the situation for wildlife with new structures that allow wildlife to safely travel over or under the freeway.
The I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition is working with a diverse set of organizations and agencies to ensure the project meets a high standard for wildlife connectivity as well as human safety and transportation efficiency.
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