Almost every winter for the last 20 years, there has been a fatality on a stretch of Colorado 9 south of Kremmling in Grand County.
The two-lane highway in the Blue River Valley is notorious for wildlife collisions because it separates prime winter range for animals on the east side of the road from the Blue River on the west side.
“When I travel that corridor, I try very hard not to travel at all at dawn or dusk,” said Summit County Commissioner Karn Stiegelmeier. “It’s super, super dangerous.”
The planned project will put both an overpass and underpass across the highway. According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 550 animals have died after being hit by cars and trucks in the last nine winter seasons.
In 2013, a grassroots campaign helped raise the rest of the funds needed to fast track the project.
The Colorado Deparment of Transportation has begun accepting contractor bids, and resident engineer Grant Anderson said preliminary work has already begun.
