FLAGSTAFF, AZ — A wildlife overpass under construction along Interstate 17 south of Flagstaff is more than halfway done as the project moves into a winter weather shutdown, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).
Work on the $15.8 million wildlife overpass project 12 miles south of Flagstaff started in May and is scheduled for completion by fall 2026. The project is now on a scheduled winter construction break, and crews will resume work once favorable weather conditions return next year.
The concrete deck has been poured for the 100-foot-wide bridge, which is designed to allow wildlife, including elk and deer, to cross over I-17. The overpass ultimately will be topped with soil and native grasses and plants.
No major traffic restrictions are planned in the project’s work zone during the winter months.
ADOT is partnering with the Arizona Game and Fish Department on the I-17 overpass project in an effort to reduce the risk of vehicle crashes involving animals, especially elk and deer. Most funding for the project is provided by a Federal Highway Administration Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program grant.
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In addition to completing the bridge, which is located north of the Willard Springs Road interchange, crews next year will finish the installation of wildlife fencing along 8 miles of I-17.
From 2018 to 2022, the area where the new I-17 overpass and fencing are being added accounted for 58 percent of crashes involving wildlife between Stoneman Lake Road and Flagstaff. And in that 32-mile stretch of I-17, about 75 percent of all reported wildlife crashes involved elk, which can weigh up to 1,100 pounds.
