Departemen Transportasi Washington DC akan membangun
jembatan khusus untuk satwa di atas Jalan Tol Snougualmie (Snoqualmie Pass)
The
Washington State Department of Transportation today announced the state's first
wildlife bridge, which will be built over a stretch of I-90 near Snoqualmie
Pass.
According
the I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition, which has been advocating for the
construction of the wildlife bridge, 28,000 vehicles travel along I-90 each
day. Such heavy traffic makes it extremely difficult for wildlife to cross the
highway, and has devastating impacts on local wildlife:
"If we
prevent them from moving, we're blocking their ability to find food, we're
blocking their ability to find places to live when conditions change, like the
large wildfires we saw last year, and we're blocking their ability to find new
mates and have some genetic diversity in the population. The I-90 wildlife
overcrossing and the newly completed undercrossings are monumental step forward
for wildlife on the move in our region," remarked Jen Watkins, coordinator
for the I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition.
Wildlife
bridges are relatively common in Europe -- there are over 600 wildlife
overpasses and underpasses on roads throughout the Netherlands alone. There are
notably fewer of the crossings throughout the United States, however.
"This
project is a shining example of WSDOT's future direction. It embraces our
values, goals and strategies for a safe transportation system that improves
mobility and supports economic growth," remarked Deputy Secretary of
Transportation Cam Gilmour. (sumber: discovery.com)