Wildlife crossings and fencing on Highway 3

Efforts to improve wildlife connectivity and reduce vehicle collisions along Highway 3 in Southwest Alberta and Southeast British Columbia are moving forward, with multiple organizations collaborating on fencing and crossing infrastructure. The multi-year project, known as Reconnecting the Rockies, is designed to ensure safe wildlife movement across one of North America’s most significant landscapes while making the highway safer for motorists.

The project is part of a broader conservation vision led by the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) and supported by a range of stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations, researchers, provincial ministries, communities, and First Nations.

In June 2024, Alberta’s Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors announced plans for wildlife crossings and fencing projects along Highway 3 between the British Columbia border and the Cowley/Castle River area. These infrastructure improvements are expected to mitigate the high number of wildlife-vehicle collisions in the region and support long-term ecological connectivity.

A Critical Link in the Yellowstone to Yukon Corridor Highway 3 is a key area of focus for Y2Y’s work in wildlife connectivity. The 3,400 km Yellowstone to Yukon corridor is the largest intact mountain ecosystem in North America, and Highway 3 is one of four priority roads in Y2Y’s strategy.

“This region is one of two major zones where grizzly bears are known to cross the U.S.-Canada border, and it’s also home to numerous medium and large mammal species that rely on safe crossings for daily and seasonal movement,” said Tim Johnson, landscape connectivity specialist with Y2Y.

Without proper crossings, major roadways can create barriers that fragment wildlife populations, disrupt migration patterns, and increase road mortality. The Reconnecting the Rockies project aims to prevent this, helping species such as deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and bears move more freely across the landscape.

“Fencing and crossings on Highway 3 will ensure this landscape remains functional for wildlife while also improving motorist safety,” Johnson said.

How Fencing and Crossings Help Wildlife and Drivers

Studies have shown that highway fencing and wildlife crossings significantly reduce animal-vehicle collisions. Properly designed structures allow animals to move across roads without risking injury or death, helping maintain genetic diversity and healthy populations.

“Banff National Park’s network of 38 underpasses, six overpasses, and 82 km of fencing along the Trans-Canada Highway is a world-renowned example of the success of these projects,” Johnson said, “Over 250,000 safe wildlife crossings have been recorded there, and wildlife-vehicle collisions have dropped by 80 per cent for all species, and by 96 per cent for elk and deer—the most commonly hit animals.”

The success of Banff’s model is a strong indicator of what Highway 3 could achieve with similar infrastructure in place.

However, fencing alone is not enough. Without designated overpasses or underpasses, fencing can create additional barriers that prevent wildlife from crossing altogether. The Reconnecting the Rockies project incorporates multiple crossing structures to address this concern.

New and Planned Wildlife Crossings

Recent progress has been made on several wildlife infrastructure projects along Highway 3, including:

• Rock Creek Underpass and Fencing Project: Construction began in 2024 between Highway 507 and Highway 22, marking the first purpose-built wildlife crossing in the region.

• Emerald Lake Bridge Retrofit: An existing highway bridge was tied into wildlife fencing installed in 2016, successfully functioning as a wildlife crossing point.

• Future Projects Announced in 2024: Three new purpose-built wildlife overpasses are planned between Cowley and the BC border. Additionally, multiple existing bridges and culverts may be modified to improve wildlife passage and integrated with fencing to function as underpasses.

The Cost of Wildlife Collisions

Data from Alberta’s Wildlife Watch program highlights the urgency of these projects. Between 2016 and 2023, 952 carcass records were logged along Highway 3, though researchers estimate the true number to be 2.6 times higher. The recorded breakdown includes:

828 deer, 58 elk, 27 bighorn sheep, 12 black bears and two grizzly bears.

Collisions with wildlife are not only a conservation concern but also a financial one. The Alberta government estimates the cost of each wildlife collision—including emergency response, property damage, road cleanup, and lost hunting value—at $100,000 per incident. That means the recorded collisions along this section of Highway 3 have resulted in a total economic loss of at least $95.2 million over seven years.

“By implementing fencing and crossings, we could see an 80 per cent reduction in collisions, saving millions of dollars while improving the health of local wildlife populations,” Johnson said.

Y2Y’s Role in the Project

Y2Y has been a key player in wildlife mitigation efforts on Highway 3 for more than a decade. Their involvement includes:

• Co-authoring Highway 3: Transportation Mitigation for Wildlife and Connectivity, a research report published in 2010 and updated in 2019 that prioritized 31 potential wildlife crossing sites.

• Advocating for funding and construction of the Rock Creek underpass.

• Coordinating the Reconnecting the Rockies working group, a collaborative effort involving researchers, government agencies, environmental groups, Indigenous Nations, and local communities.

• Securing $1.985 million in funding from Parks Canada’s National Program for Ecological Corridors in 2022 to support infrastructure, research, and public engagement.

Future Steps to Improve Wildlife Connectivity

While wildlife crossings and fencing are key components of the solution, Johnson said additional measures could further enhance connectivity and reduce fragmentation.

“Highway 3 runs through a complex landscape of communities, trails, industry, and private land,” he said, “Provincial and municipal land-use planning that considers the cumulative effects of development will help maintain the integrity of this working landscape.”

Y2Y also encourages residents to voice their support for these projects to local and provincial officials, emphasizing the long-term benefits for both wildlife and highway safety.

“We are encouraged to see Alberta Transportation & Economic Corridors advancing these projects,” Johnson said, “Their efforts will help keep both people and wildlife safe while preserving vital ecological connections across the region.”

With construction underway and more projects in the pipeline, the Reconnecting the Rockies initiative is set to reshape how wildlife moves through the Crown of the Continent, ensuring safe passage for generations to come.