TRC1605 - Evaluating the Usage of Culverts and Bridges by Wildlife in Arkansas

Wildlife crossing Arkansas highways causes a large number of crashes each year. These crashes are caused by motorist swerving to avoid hitting wildlife and by collisions between vehicles and wildlife. The average cost per insurance claim on a vehicle involved in a collision with an animal is ($3,171.00). Additional cost to Arkansas taxpayers occurs from local law enforcement being called to these crashes and maintenance crews having to remove animal carcasses from the roadway. With slight modification to the inside of culverts and the underneath of bridges it may be possible to better accommodate local wildlife, thereby reducing the amount of wildlife on Arkansas highways and in turn reducing the crash rates on Arkansas highways. The objectives of this research project include, but are not limited to a survey of surrounding states to determine their policies on wildlife shelves and other wildlife crossing tools and to establish baseline data by monitoring wildlife movements in selected areas in order to determine major crossing areas, behaviors and crossing frequencies. ARDOT installed game cameras in or near select culverts and bridges in these areas to determine the extent that wildlife are utilizing these structures for road crossings and in the future, develop a plan to utilize wildlife shelves and other wildlife crossing tools based on data collected.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Inactive
• Funding: $177000
• Contract Numbers:

  TRC1605

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Performing Organizations:

  Arkansas Department of Transportation

  P.O. Box 2261
  Little Rock, AR  United States  72203
• Principal Investigators:

  Seagraves, Josh

  Staffeld, Susan

• Start Date: 20160701
• Expected Completion Date: 20221231
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Crash rates; Culverts; Design; Evaluation; Traffic crashes; Wildlife; Wildlife crossings
• Geographic Terms: Arkansas
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Environment; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01580539
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Arkansas Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: TRC1605
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 16 2015 4:10PM