The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has awarded a $16.8 million grant to the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) to build 61 wildlife crossings and install 68 miles of exclusionary fencing along U.S. Highway 93 in Southern Nevada. This transformative project will reduce vehicle collisions with wildlife and support the conservation of the Mojave desert tortoise, a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
The Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program (WCPP) grant will go towards the proposed Coyote Springs Wildlife Crossings Project, located along U.S. 93 near Coyote Springs in Clark and Lincoln Counties. The initiative represents a long-awaited goal shared by NDOT, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
Project Highlights:
- Location: Southern Nevada, U.S. Highway 93 near Coyote Springs
- Total Distance: 34 miles
- Wildlife Crossings: 61 underpasses
- Fencing: 68 miles of exclusionary barriers
- Target Species: Mojave desert tortoise, as well as other desert wildlife, including coyotes, bobcats, foxes, badgers, skunks, mice and rats.
Safety and Conservation Benefits:
The Coyote Springs Wildlife Crossings project is critical to the survival of the Mojave desert tortoise, as it addresses the last unfenced highway section within U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-designated critical habitat in Nevada. By constructing 61 wildlife crossings and 68 miles of barrier fencing along US 93, this project will:
- Protect motorists by reducing vehicle-wildlife collisions.
- Enhance tortoise population stability by preventing road mortality and promoting habitat connectivity.
- Reduce inbreeding risks and improve climate adaptability by enabling safe passage across fragmented habitats.
- Promote the recovery of the Mojave desert tortoise population, which has faced significant declines due to habitat loss, disease, predation, and road mortality.
Funding and Partnerships:
The $16.8 million grant was awarded under the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program (WCPP), a federal initiative to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions while improving habitat connectivity. Additional project funding will come from Clark County Section 10 Mitigation Fees, Bureau of Land Management contributions, Lincoln County Section 10 funds, and private stakeholders such as Coyote Springs Investment, LLC.
Next Steps:
NDOT will now undertake a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) study and begin construction planning, a process that typically takes years. A construction start date has yet to be determined.
