Helena, Montana – On a fateful night in September 2020, a well-known grizzly bear met a tragic end on a Montana highway, highlighting a persistent issue in the region. The bear, affectionately known as “Griz-40,” was an old matriarch familiar to researchers and locals. She had been monitored since the late 1990s and had raised at least nine cubs, becoming a grandmother 11 times. Her journey across U.S. Highway 93 south of the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge ended abruptly when an ambulance collided with her, rendering her “unsalvageable.”
Griz-40’s death is not an isolated incident in Montana. The state’s Department of Transportation and tribal officers annually collect over 6,000 wildlife carcasses from roadways, mainly large mammals. Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) account for more than 10% of all car accidents in Montana, making it the second-highest risk state for such incidents.
However, new federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aims to reduce these collisions. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration’s Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program has awarded over $109 million to 19 projects. This initiative includes funding for an overpass on the Flathead Indian Reservation, near where Griz-40 was struck.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of tackling roadway safety issues involving wildlife, especially in rural areas. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) received an $8.6 million grant for constructing a wildlife overpass along U.S. Highway 93. This overpass will be within the Ninepipe National Wildlife Management Area, close to the site of Griz-40’s accident.
This project is the culmination of a long-standing effort to mitigate WVCs along Highway 93 between Evaro and Polson. Between 2009 and 2010, the CSKT, the Montana Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration constructed 41 wildlife crossing structures along this highway. The most notable of these is the “Animals’ Trail,” a vegetated bridge near Gray Wolf Peak Casino. Other structures include culverts, underpasses, crossing guards, wildlife fencing, and jump-outs.
The success of these efforts is evident. A 2016 follow-up report showed over 22,648 successful animal crossings annually. Wildlife cameras recorded 6,626 crossings over the Animals’ Way overpass between 2011 and 2015, by various species including white-tailed deer, black bears, coyotes, elk, and moose. Grizzly bears were recorded using crossing structures in the Post Creek area 19 times.
The report concluded that mitigation measures should include long sections of wildlife fences and structures suitable for grizzly bears. Larger mammals like grizzlies are more likely to use large crossing structures, such as overpasses, than smaller ones. The planned Ninepipe overpass was designed with grizzlies in mind.
Montanans overwhelmingly support the construction of wildlife crossing structures. According to the State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West Poll, 86% of Montanans favor building additional wildlife crossings on major highways intersecting known migration routes.
Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt stated that these projects would significantly reduce collisions between motorists and wildlife, benefiting both safety and the environment. These investments are seen as win-win solutions for safeguarding lives and preserving wildlife, marking a positive step forward in the harmonious coexistence of nature and human infrastructure.
