Roaring Fork Safe Passages Releases Mitigation Plans for Wildlife Crossings

To address the persistent and dangerous issue of wildlife-vehicle collisions along State Highway 82, a new mitigation strategy released in June outlines a plan to build a series of wildlife crossings between Aspen Village and the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport.

The effort is being led by Roaring Fork Safe Passages, in coordination with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Pitkin County, and the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Over the past decade, this 12-mile stretch of highway has experienced more than 450 documented wildlife-related crashes. These incidents — which involved species such as elk, mule deer, black bears, and moose — threaten not only wildlife populations, but also the safety of motorists.

“Wildlife-vehicle collisions are a significant issue in Colorado, costing the lives of people and wildlife, in addition to a lot of money,” said Bridget O’Rourke, public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “From 2022 to 2024, there was an average of 5,629 animals that were hit and killed in Colorado.”

She emphasized the proven success of wildlife crossings, saying, “Entire herds of mule deer and elk have used them successfully, as have bears, mountain lions, river otters, turkeys, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, and even wolves.”

The proposed plan targets five priority locations for wildlife crossing infrastructure: the Airport segment, the Brush Creek corridor, Shale Bluffs, Snowmass Canyon, and Wingo Junction.

Sites were chosen based on road design, habitat fragmentation, wildlife movement data, and collision history. Each project will incorporate a mix of overpasses and underpasses, supported by fencing and escape ramps — methods that have been shown to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by up to 90% in similar projects across Colorado and the U.S.

“We have five potential locations that will serve the wildlife really well,” said Cecily DeAngelo, executive director of Roaring Fork Safe Passages. “With that being said, we fully understand that the objective of building five crossings is significant. We may have to pick and choose which ones are the most important and accepted by the community.”

Of the five proposed sites, the Airport and Brush Creek segments are the most advanced in design and will be the first to undergo public review.

“We will be taking these two to the public to see how they feel about them,” DeAngelo said. “We are open to hearing what would be the best fit for the community.”

Community input sessions are expected to begin in the next two weeks.

The Airport segment is considered especially urgent due to the high volume of wildlife activity and traffic near the runway. DeAngelo said the area sees frequent elk strikes and noted that moose pose an elevated danger to drivers because of their size and behavior.

“We see a really high number of elk hit in this area, and we have reports (of moose) crossing in this area, although luckily, they have not been hit in this area recently. Moose create many more problems for vehicles with their tendency to go into the windshields of cars,” she said.

In addition to roadway dangers, wildlife collisions near the airport also create aviation risks. Carcasses left near the runway attract scavenging birds such as vultures and eagles, which can interfere with aircrafts during takeoff and landing.

“When these animals die near the end of the runway, they attract large birds looking to scavenge on the carcasses,” DeAngelo explained. “The airport is very aware of this and has an amazing operations crew to go out early in the morning, but it is a very constant thing for them to have to do.”

While the response is swift, she said the recurring nature of the hazard underscores the need for a permanent solution.

The Brush Creek corridor is another critical location, functioning as a major migration route for wildlife. It has seen repeated incidents involving elk, deer, bears, and moose. The plan calls for a wildlife overpass in this area to reconnect fragmented habitats and reduce road mortality.

Chuck Marsh, regional communications manager for CDOT, confirmed the need for intervention.

“Our records show that from Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2024, there were 41 reported crashes that involved animals from Brush Creek to the Aspen/Pitkin County airport,” Marsh said. “Two of these crashes saw motorists sustain injuries.”

He added that the actual number is likely higher due to underreporting.

He urged drivers to take precautions, especially at dawn and dusk when animals are most active.

“Good precautions to follow year-round are to slow down and stay alert. Pay close attention to the roadway, particularly while driving between dusk and dawn. Always scan ahead to watch for movement and shining eyes along the roadways,” he said. “If you see an animal, give warning by honking your horn or flashing your lights. This warns the animal to avoid the road and alerts other drivers to the potential hazard.”

He also cautioned against swerving to avoid animals, as this can cause more severe accidents.

“Unfortunately, not every collision is avoidable. The risk of serious injury and death in a crash is reduced by half when seat belts are worn,” Marsh added.

Public input will play a central role in shaping the final project scope.

“In the past few years, I have seen positive public demand for wildlife crossings from across the political and social spectrum,” said Pitkin County Commissioner Greg Poschman. “Commuters, retirees, students, and soccer moms all see the roadkill and the wrecked vehicles on Highway 82.”

Poschman also highlighted the availability of local funding sources.

“Happily, our Open Space and Trails fund can provide funding for wildlife trails, as well as people trails, so we can match funds from federal, state, and philanthropic donors to get these costly projects built,” he said, adding, “Everyone agrees it’s time to do something about wildlife-vehicle collisions.”

Next steps for the mitigation strategy include formal engineering studies, funding identification, and broader public engagement.

DeAngelo said that planning efforts are also expanding downvalley.

“We are commencing the same process next month between Aspen Village and Old Snowmass to Highway 133,” she said.

Additional information, including public meeting schedules and how to participate, will be released in the coming days. For more details, visit roaringforksafepassages.org.