High in the Canadian Rockies, and southeast of Banff—Alberta’s premier ski town—a provincial highway spur has been capped with a landscaped overpass that allows local wildlife to pass safely above the treacherous road. The intervention, known as the Bow Valley Gap Wildlife Overpass, was designed by DIALOG, a practice based in Canada and the U.S. Consisting of two large concrete arches topped by soil and plantings, the overpass is essentially a land bridge that spans each side of the roadway. To prevent animals from crossing elsewhere along the highway, DIALOG installed over 7 miles of fencing in the area surrounding the crossing. The fenced-in area also includes “jump-outs,” segments of lowered fencing allowing animals that unknowingly entered the roadway a chance to escape. The crossing and surrounding roadway are fenced in to prevent animal-vehicle collisions. (Neil Zeller) The Bow Valley Gap Overpass is the first such overpass located outside of Banff National Park, where Parks Canada has been installing animal crossing infrastructure since 1978. The park maintains 24 crossings. These bridges curb animal-vehicle strikes, which occur regularly around Banff, and also reconnect habitat interrupted by the highway. Wildlife overpasses were first introduced in Europe in the 1950s during the heyday of highway construction. Canada has been a leader in wildlife overpass construction, and similar projects have been built in the western United States. Trail cameras have already captured animals using the overpass. (Courtesy Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors) DIALOG reports that wildlife cameras have already captured images of animals using the bridge. Ultimately, Parks Canada’s campaign in Banff has eliminated 80 percent of wildlife-vehicle collisions, and similar metrics are targeted by this new campaign led by Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors, a provincial agency that has an additional three animal crossings in development. The project’s completion marks DIALOG’s seventh wildlife overpass. The Bow Valley Gap Overpass was also awarded the Minister’s Award for Transportation by the Consulting Engineers of Alberta and the Environmental Achievement Award by the Transportation Association of Canada. “At DIALOG, we’re proud to partner with Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors on initiatives that enhance both driver safety and the protection of Alberta’s wildlife,” said Neil Robson, a project manager and design lead at the firm. “Our focus remains on designing innovative infrastructure solutions that balance the needs of people and the environment, ensuring long-term benefits for all,” he added.