Vail pass wildlife crossing collides with state budget: Kenny Be's Worst-Case Scenario

For wildlife, Interstate 70 is the forage-lined kill zone that bisects Colorado. Last June, the ARC-International Wildlife Crossing Infrastructure Design Competition invited architects, engineers and ecologists to create the next generation of animal overpass for the top of West Vail Pass. The five finalists of the competition will on display...

By Kenny Be

December 1, 2010

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For wildlife, Interstate 70 is the forage-lined kill zone that bisects Colorado. Last June, the ARC-International Wildlife Crossing Infrastructure Design Competition invited architects, engineers and ecologists to create the next generation of animal overpass for the top of West Vail Pass. The five finalists of the competition will on display today. Sadly, there is no money in the budget for ecological upgrades. Look below to see what Colorado can afford... With a shortage of funds to build a "next generation" wildlife crossing, the Colorado Department of Transportation will instead attend the Western Governors' Wildlife Council meeting in Denver, the showcase for the finalists' work, and present an animal-overpass model featuring cost-effective modular slab-and-pave design elements.

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