RC118 MayJune 2025 - Magazine - Page 30
TRANSPORTATION
OVER, NOT UNDER
David McPherson
is the author of The
Legendary Horseshoe
Tavern, Massey Hall
and 101 Fascinating
Canadian Music
Facts. He is also the
president of McPherson
Communications, based
in Waterloo, Ont.
30
N CANADA, a wildlife-vehicle collision occurs every 38
minutes. The associated costs—both direct and indirect—of these unplanned and dangerous encounters
between humans and animals reach $200 million
annually. Combine urban sprawl with a 24-7 tra昀케c
昀氀ow on our nation’s highways and the chances of these
costly encounters will only increase unless more preventative measures and innovative design solutions like the
award-winning Bow Valley Gap Wildlife Overpass are
built.
“We would love to see more agencies across North
America consider building these structures as a way to
reduce accidents and keep wildlife safe,” says Neil Robson,
I
RENEW CANADA – MAY/JUNE 2025
a partner with Calgary-based design 昀椀rm DIALOG and the
project manager for the Bow Valley Gap Wildlife Overpass,
describing the 昀椀rst wildlife overpass built in Alberta since
2010 that 昀椀nished construction late last fall. “It’s a win-win
for highway safety and for environmental conservation …
it helps humans and it helps wildlife and bene昀椀ts society in
the short- and the long-term.”
Research on wildlife crossing structures shows animals
are 2.46 times more likely to use a designated structure to
cross a busy highway than crossing randomly. According
to Think Wildlife Foundation, wildlife crossings in
Ban昀昀 National Park have contributed to an 80 per cent
reduction in large-mammal collisions. These six bridges
RENEWCANADA.NET
NEIL ZELLER/DIALOG
Alberta’s first wildlife overpass outside Banff National Park
reduces wildlife-vehicle collisions by David McPherson
