The province is spending almost $1.4 million on a fence and netting on Highway 3 in the Crowsnest Pass to protect both animals and motorists.
About 1.5 kilometres of fencing will be installed on both sides of the highway in four sections near Crowsnest and Emerald lakes, west of Coleman. The $280,000 fence will be designed to herd animals toward an existing bridge where they can safely cross underneath. The project will also include one-way ramps, allowing animals that jump the fence to get back into the forest. The project is similar to one along Highway 1 in the Bow Valley near Banff.
Animals are attracted to that stretch of highway in the pass because of the lakes on either side, and it is considered a critical wildlife corridor.
“Highway 3 through the Crowsnest Pass is one of the most important links for wildlife in the Yellowstone to Yukon region,” said Stephen Legault, program director with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. “This fencing project is an exciting first step in ensuring bighorn sheep, grizzly bears and other iconic wildlife can move up and down the Rocky Mountains safely.”
The province announced the plan Thursday as part of a push to reduce the number of wildlife collisions and improve motorists’ safety. Along with the fencing, a 600-metre-long mesh net and protective wall will be erected on Highway 3 to prevent falling rocks from hitting vehicles. Chunks have been breaking off a rock wall in the area for decades, including one in 2004 that was the size of an office desk. It came to rest on the highway centre line.
The $1.1-million net project, which replaces a barrier installed in 2012, will mean some lane closures and reduced speeds for several months.
