Washington state builds bridge to keep wildlife off highway
SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. — Before descending the Cascade Mountains on its final stretch to Seattle, Interstate 90 cuts through a mountain pass of old growth forests and wetlands.
For countless wildlife species, the busy highway is a border, constraining their movements and posing a fatal risk should they dare to cross it.
“Everything from an elk down to a small salamander, they need to move to find food, to find mates, to find new places to live as their populations expand or just when conditions change, like a fire breaks out,” said Jen Watkins of Conservation Northwest.
Soon, animals will have a safer option for crossing the road: They’ll be able to go above it.