For mule deer, a new shortcut over I-97 is already open

California: The mule deer didn’t wait for the ribbon cutting. Three of them were caught on camera traps crossing I-97 in Siskiyou County using a $20 million wildlife overpass that’s still under construction.

For deer, elk, bison and other animals, this bridge is a new path across a highway that cuts right through their migratory routes. The corridor starts about 20 miles south of the bridge near Weed and runs all the way to Canada.

The route has been dangerous. Between 2015 and 2020, vehicles killed more than 50 deer and 16 elk here. Each collision risks the animal’s life and can seriously injure drivers too.

The overpass was built to change that. When finished, it will be covered with trees across the full width, giving animals cover that feels like natural ground. While crews keep working, the deer are already testing it out.

To make sure animals find it, 8-foot-high fencing will run 3 miles north and south of the bridge. That funnels deer and others toward the crossing instead of onto the highway.

Commissioned by the state of California, the bridge is designed to give animals a safer way across while helping reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions for motorists.

The camera trap photos show it’s working — at least for the mule deer who tried it first.