Wildlife Bridge At Snoqualmie Pass Logs Its First Bear Crossing
It's called the wildlife bridge; it crosses I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass, and it just passed a recent milestone and generated some interest on the Internet with the first official bear crossing a few weeks ago.
According to axios.com,
‘Bears are among the most cautious users of wildlife crossings and can take years to trust the structures, the Washington State Department of Transportation said in a late June Instagram post.’
This bear crossing was quite a big deal and got some coverage on the Seattle news media, and it really is kind of fun to watch the video and see the bear galloping across the bridge.
Construction finished in 2018
Since its completion in 2018 the Department of Transportation Which has wildlife cameras keeping track of the traffic over the bridge Have logged 38,321 Wildlife crossings by over 9390 individual wildlife critters.
The main goal of the overpasses (Also known as green bridges) is to provide wildlife a way to get over I-90 in both directions without having to trapes into the highway and be struck by cars. The overpass is also there to enable herds that were previously cut off from the water of Lake Kachess.
Where you might see them.
You will find these green bridges in various locations across the country Including California, Colorado, Wyoming, Massachusetts, and North Carolina.
The purpose of the crossings Is to make it easier for migration and help promote biodiversity. Large mammals like deer, elk, and mountain lions often prefer wide, open overpasses,
Youtube video / wsdot, https://youtu.be/Cf5nMLrlgW4?si=_oFFyvfPvkVUXlve