Deer Already Using New U.S. 97 Wildlife Crossing
Caltrans says the nearly complete Siskiyou County overcrossing is already being used by deer, with a bobcat and other wildlife also spotted on the structure.
SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. — Wildlife is already using a new overcrossing on U.S. 97 in Siskiyou County, giving Caltrans District 2 an early sign that the nearly complete project is doing what it was built to do.
Caltrans said deer were photographed using the new wildlife overcrossing just 15 hours after crews wrapped up work for the day. According to the agency, the deer are the first known animals to successfully cross a roadway in California using a newly constructed wildlife overcrossing.
The structure is located near Grass Lake on U.S. 97, in an area identified by Caltrans as the highest recorded wildlife-vehicle conflict corridor in District 2. Caltrans said more than 50 deer and 16 elk fatalities were recorded in the project area between 2015 and 2020.
The new crossing is designed to give deer, elk and other terrestrial wildlife a safer way across the highway while also reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions for motorists traveling through the corridor.
Although the contractor is still completing final touches, wildlife has already begun using the structure. In addition to deer, Caltrans said a bobcat and other wildlife have also been spotted using the crossing.
A new wildlife overcrossing spans U.S. 97 near Grass Lake in Siskiyou County, with Mount Shasta visible in the distance. Caltrans District 2 says the nearly complete structure is already being used by wildlife. Photo courtesy Caltrans District 2.
The Wildlife Crossing Structure Project is located from about 1.4 miles north of Deer Mountain Road to 0.6 mile north of the Grass Lake Rest Area, between Post Miles 18.0 and 22.4.
The project includes a single-span wildlife overcrossing bridge measuring about 100 feet long and 140 feet wide at Post Mile 19.77. It also includes approximately two miles of 8-foot-high wildlife exclusion fencing on both sides of the highway to guide animals toward the crossing.
Additional features include jump-outs every half mile to allow wildlife to escape the highway corridor, cattle guards at private road access points and a reinforced concrete box culvert to improve wildlife undercrossing opportunities.
Caltrans said the project is intended to restore landscape connectivity for wildlife while improving safety for drivers. By creating a dedicated crossing point and fencing animals away from the roadway, the structure helps reduce the risk of serious collisions between vehicles and large animals.
Construction began in 2025 and last about 100 working days. The construction capital cost is estimated at $15.1 million.
Cover image: Trail camera footage shows deer using the new U.S. 97 wildlife overcrossing in Siskiyou County shortly after crews wrapped up work for the day. Caltrans District 2 says deer, a bobcat and other wildlife have already been spotted using the structure. Photo by Road Ecology Center, courtesy Caltrans District 2.
Recent Outdoors
