Rocky Point Wildlife Underpasses Near Completion, Promising Safer Drive on US-30

MONTPELIER, Idaho – Construction of three wildlife underpasses on U.S. Highway 30 south of Montpelier will be completed this fall, improving safety for people while protecting migrating deer and other wildlife.

Bear Lake County Commissioner Wynn Olsen, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Idaho Conservation League, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the Idaho Transportation Department on Tuesday hosted staff from the offices of Sen. Mike Crapo, Sen. Jim Risch, Rep. Mike Simpson, and other regional decision-makers to tour the project to demonstrate the importance of wildlife crossings to public safety and wildlife migrations on Idaho roads.

The Rocky Point wildlife crossing project is the culmination of decades of collaboration among state agencies, conservation groups, and the local communities whose support made it possible.

"Rocky Point shows what's possible when agencies, conservation and sporting groups, and local communities work toward the same goal," said Matt Lucia, Idaho conservation manager at GYC. "GYC has been part of this project for years—contributing time, energy, and funds toward the effort. The next step is making sure the federal funding that made this project possible stays available."

Wildlife-vehicle collisions are expensive—they cost Idaho an average of $143.7 million per year. Wildlife under- and overpasses paired with fencing are the most effective safety tool available, reducing collisions with large animals by up to 97 percent while keeping migration corridors intact.

“The Idaho Transportation Department’s primary responsibility is the safety of the travelling public,” said ITD project manager Bo Frasure. “With approximately one hundred wildlife collisions a year at Rocky Point, this project’s need was clearly apparent. By funneling wildlife through underpasses, the animals are kept off the road and safely away from traffic. We are excited to see this project come to fruition.”

A reported 100 mule deer are killed in collisions on the 20-mile stretch of US-30 south of Montpelier each year, most within the 5-mile Rocky Point area alone. This number is likely an underrepresentation as it doesn't account for unreported collisions or wildlife that succumb to their injuries away from the road. The new underpass will let wildlife move across the land without crossing the highway, keeping drivers safe and migratory habitat connected.

"This project is about more than moving wildlife across the road—it's an investment in public safety and the mule deer resource in this part of the state," said Dan Garren, regional supervisor for IDFG's Southeast Region. "What makes it especially meaningful is the overwhelming support from agencies, hunters, conservation groups, and the community. Mule deer are central to our outdoor heritage, recreation, economy, and way of life here."

Idaho is home to great herds of migratory wildlife—as they move across the landscape, they are a symbol of the wide-open space that makes this region so remarkable. The integrity of migratory corridors is critical to support the health of these big game herds, local economies, and future generations that will benefit from abundant native wildlife resources in our state.

Idahoans overwhelmingly support the building of crossings in the right places and continuing federal funding for them. Earlier this year, the Idaho Legislature passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 124, affirming its strong support for the public safety and conservation benefits of wildlife crossings.

"Most wildlife crossings tend to pay for themselves in less than ten years, and the costs of inaction are enormous," said Jeff Abrams, wildlife program associate at ICL. "With the support of local communities, there’s momentum to keep looking for ways to get more of these important projects over the finish line."

Idaho already has proof this works. The state's first wildlife overpass, completed near Cervidae Peak on Idaho State Highway 21 near Boise in fall 2023, saw zero reported wildlife-vehicle collisions in the project area in its first year.

Various conservation organizations, sportsmen's groups, private entities, and agencies have donated to the Rocky Point project over the years. These important partnerships helped purchase critical conservation easements at Rocky Point from Bear Lake County landowners that will provide open space for mule deer to migrate through this corridor in perpetuity.

"This project is important to me and my family, and it is why we agreed to a migration easement on our property," said landowner Kolby Romrell who has a home and working ranch on about 500 acres next to Rocky Point. "Mule deer and other wildlife move through and winter on our property. They are connected to our land like we are, and we value what they bring to our outdoor heritage as landowners and sportsmen. Working with all of the project partners and being a part of this effort has helped us to be better stewards of this land and the wildlife resources we cherish."

ITD secured a $20.8 million grant for the Rocky Point crossing from the Federal Highway Administration's Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program, which authorized $350 million for wildlife crossings nationwide as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

That federal funding is what makes projects like this possible. Tour attendees were encouraged to support federal legislation that would continue funding wildlife crossings in Idaho and across the country, including the Wildlife Road Crossings Program Reauthorization Act and the BUILD America 250 Act.