Wildlife Crossing Overpass Project
Format
SOECS Senior Project Demonstration
Faculty Mentor Name
Camilla Saviz
Faculty Mentor Department
Civil Engineering
Additional Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Scott Merry
Additional Faculty Mentor Department
Civil Engineering
Additional Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Luke Lee
Additional Faculty Mentor Department
Civil Engineering
Graduate Student Mentor Name
Mr. Robbie Coomes, P.E.
Graduate Student Mentor Department
CH2M
Additional Mentors
Mr. J.P. Loomis, EIT
JP.Loomis@ch2m.com
CH2M
Abstract/Artist Statement
The four million miles of roadway that span the U.S. make our lives easier in many ways, but not without consequences. By dividing the land into smaller, bounded sections, roads contribute to habitat loss and fragmentation. Roads are barriers to animal movement and, in extreme cases, can be the main cause of a species' population decline. When vehicles and animal populations are arranged in close proximity, interactions between the two become more frequent. The National Cooperative Highway Research Program estimates that 725,000 to 1.5 million wildlife-vehicle collisions occur in the U.S. every year. Such collisions can be fatal to wildlife and humans alike.
To prevent and counteract these detriments, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) offers a hierarchy of solutions when planning transportation projects: avoid, mitigate, and compensate. New transportation projects should avoid critical wildlife habitat. Mitigation aims to reduce the impact the road makes on vehicle safety and wildlife populations, and can be accomplished by constructing wildlife crossings. If mitigation is not an option, FHWA directs to compensate for the ecological effect in some way. Wildlife crossings mitigate the adverse effects of pre-existing roadways.
Avengineers has proposed a wildlife overpass along Interstate 5 in Sacramento County near the Cosumnes River Preserve, home to a variety of wildlife from river otters to mule deer. Animals will be directed to the bridge by fencing along the side of the road. Structural bridge components include concrete bridge deck and median wall. A mechanically stabilized earth retaining wall was designed to support the concrete bridge deck and soil approaches. Soil will also be placed on top of the concrete deck along with native vegetation. Storm water runoff was designed to percolate through the top soil, but ultimately drain off the bridge deck and into retaining ponds for groundwater recharge.
Location
School of Engineering & Computer Science
Start Date
6-5-2017 2:30 PM
End Date
6-5-2017 4:00 PM
Wildlife Crossing Overpass Project
School of Engineering & Computer Science
The four million miles of roadway that span the U.S. make our lives easier in many ways, but not without consequences. By dividing the land into smaller, bounded sections, roads contribute to habitat loss and fragmentation. Roads are barriers to animal movement and, in extreme cases, can be the main cause of a species' population decline. When vehicles and animal populations are arranged in close proximity, interactions between the two become more frequent. The National Cooperative Highway Research Program estimates that 725,000 to 1.5 million wildlife-vehicle collisions occur in the U.S. every year. Such collisions can be fatal to wildlife and humans alike.
To prevent and counteract these detriments, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) offers a hierarchy of solutions when planning transportation projects: avoid, mitigate, and compensate. New transportation projects should avoid critical wildlife habitat. Mitigation aims to reduce the impact the road makes on vehicle safety and wildlife populations, and can be accomplished by constructing wildlife crossings. If mitigation is not an option, FHWA directs to compensate for the ecological effect in some way. Wildlife crossings mitigate the adverse effects of pre-existing roadways.
Avengineers has proposed a wildlife overpass along Interstate 5 in Sacramento County near the Cosumnes River Preserve, home to a variety of wildlife from river otters to mule deer. Animals will be directed to the bridge by fencing along the side of the road. Structural bridge components include concrete bridge deck and median wall. A mechanically stabilized earth retaining wall was designed to support the concrete bridge deck and soil approaches. Soil will also be placed on top of the concrete deck along with native vegetation. Storm water runoff was designed to percolate through the top soil, but ultimately drain off the bridge deck and into retaining ponds for groundwater recharge.