New Oracle expansion will include wildlife crossings

TUCSON - One of Tucson's busiest roads will be getting an upgrade, and it may actually be a good thing for area wildlife.

Oracle Road in Oro Valley is already scheduled to be widened to six lanes but the Regional Transportation Agency voted to tack on another $8.2 million project to add wildlife paths in three separate spots.

Busy roads like Oracle Road have never been a good thing for animals.

Jim DeGrood with the Pima Association of Governments said, "There have been studies done that have found hundreds of animals that have been killed in a short time period as a result of conflicts with vehicles."

So why not put up fences to keep the animals off the road?

Animal experts said that's just as bad as having them cross. Carolyn Campbell, the Executive Director for Sonoran Desert Protection said, "You're isolating different populations. And after a few generations they just die off. So these animals need to keep roaming freely."

For that to happen the plan is to build three bridges, one that goes over the road and two more that go under. Then, they will fence the other areas to funnel the animals through.

The animals aren't the only ones benefiting from the crossings. With cars flying by at 50 and even 60 miles per hour, it's a safety concern. Campbell said, "Large animals can cause a lot of damage to vehicles and to people's lives."

And with one project already planned and the economy in shambles, supporters said the timing couldn't be better.

DeGrood said, "The Arizona Dept of Transportation is preparing to widen this area and when they do, that is the time to add wildlife saving elements. It will never be any cheaper to do than now."

With that said, workers aren't expected to break ground on the project until 2013.

Some people have spoken out against the plan saying the money should be spent in places like school zones. DeGrood said that's not an option. He described it as a specific bucket of money that residents voted could only be used for environmental improvements. The project was determined to be the best option.