WYDOT receives $24.3 million federal grant for Kemmerer wildlife crossing project
Funding will be used for an overpass, several underpasses and fencing along a 30-mile stretch of US 189 south of Kemmerer
by Wyoming Game & Fish
December 27, 2023
The Wyoming Department of Transportation will receive a $24.3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to complete a wildlife crossing project south of Kemmerer, Wyoming.
The grant will be used for the Kemmerer Wildlife Crossing Project on U.S. Highway 189 in southwest Wyoming. The project will consist of five underpasses, one overpass and fencing improvements along a 30-mile stretch between Evanston and Kemmerer.
The project will provide motorists with a safer means of travel while ensuring wildlife can continue to migrate between seasonal ranges. Along U.S. 189, an average of 80 deer-vehicle collisions are reported annually although this number is likely underreported. Traffic is expected to increase on this stretch of road in the coming years as a nuclear power facility will be constructed near Kemmerer. Once completed, this project is anticipated to eliminate 80-90% of wildlife-vehicle collisions.
The Kemmerer project will help the Wyoming Range and Uinta deer herds, as well the Carter Lease pronghorn herd.
The Federal Highway Administration award is part of the $350 million available through the federal wildlife crossing pilot program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Approximately $112 million was allocated during this first round of awards, with WYDOT receiving more than 20% of the available funding for the Kemmerer project.
The total cost of this project is expected to be $37.4 million. In addition to the federal grant and $4.2 million in WYDOT formula funds, the Wyoming Transportation Commission, Game and Fish Commission, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust and partners contributed $8.8 million to fully fund the project. The project will go out to bid in early 2024 and is expected to take 2-3 construction seasons to complete.
This project would not be possible without the support from public, private and nonprofit partners including the WYldlife Fund, Transportation Commission, Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, the Wyoming Legislature and Wyomings Congressional delegation.
The following donors helped accrue nearly $1 million to help fund this project:
Genesis Alkali Wyoming
SOS Well Services
Supporters of the annual Golf For Wildlife Outing
Spire Storage
TerraPower
The WYldlife Fund
Williams Energy
Wyoming Wildlife Federation
Knobloch Family Foundation
Mule Deer Foundation
Muley Fanatic Foundation Blue Ridge Chapter
Muley Fanatic Foundation Headquarters
NextEra Energy Foundation
Project West
Rocky Mountain Power Foundation
Early successes of wildlife crossings in Wyoming have made it clear that WYDOT, Game and Fish and partners could cooperatively address the issues of roads and wildlife. In 2017, stakeholders partnered to host a summit to find solutions to wildlife-vehicle collisions in Wyoming. During the summit, the group identified 240 locations statewide to reduce such collisions. Since then, momentum on wildlife crossing projects has continued to build. In 2018, the Wyoming Legislature approved a specialized conservation license plate. Proceeds from the license plates help fund wildlife crossing projects to prevent vehicle/animal collisions. Nearly 3,000 conservation license plates have been sold.
Source: https://wgfd.wyo.gov/News/WYDOT-receives-%2424-3-million-federal-grant-for-Kem, Wyoming Game & Fish, Dec. 4, 2023
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