4/2 ADOT and Game and Fish are getting started on an animal crossing, over I-17, south of Flagstaff, near Willard Springs Road. The goal is to reduce the number of vehicle-versus-animal collisions. The animal crossing will also include an 8-foot-high wildlife fence along more than 8-miles of the interstate. Officials say this particular location accounted for 58% of crashes involving wildlife from Stoneman Lake Road to Flagstaff between 2018 and 2022 with 75% of the animals struck being elk. Crews will pave temporary I-17 median crossovers in the area to allow traffic to be shifted to one side of the highway, as needed, to limit closures while the overpass is being built. During construction, I-17 will be reduced to 1-lane in each direction.
