A new set of wildlife crossings along Wyoming Highway 22 is already proving effective, even as construction continues. The Snake River Bridge and Intersection Project includes four wildlife crossing structures designed to give animals a safer path across a busy roadway.
According to the Wyoming Department of Transportation, local residents have reported sightings of animals—like a grizzly bear—using the crossings. A nearby rancher even caught footage of a bear navigating through the area, days after a well-known grizzly cub was struck and killed by a vehicle near Moran.
The bear was one of the offspring of Grizzly 399, a famed mother bear in the region who herself died after a vehicle collision late last year. The project was funded through a partnership between WYDOT, Teton County, the Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resources Trust, and local tax dollars approved by voters in 2019.
Officials hope the project will help protect both wildlife and drivers on this busy corridor through northwest Wyoming.