News Projects Roads & Paving
Construction on British Columbia wildlife overpass expected to begin this summer

RADIUM SPRINGS, B.C. – The B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) announced it will be issuing tenders in just a few weeks for the Radium Wildlife Overpass, to be installed on a segment of Highway 93/95 south of Radium Hot Springs, with construction expected to begin this summer.

The overpass  aims to protect both drivers and the area’s population of bighorn sheep, some of the last viable bighorn sheep in the area.

Installation of the overpass will occur on the stretch of highway near Mile Hill and will involve the addition of approximately six kilometres of wildlife fencing and gates to guide animals to the overpass and safely across the highway.

The project is a collaboration between MOTI, the Ministry of Forests, the Village of Radium Hot Springs, and Parks Canada. Additional project partners include the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the local Ktunaxa Nation Council and Shuswap Band, and Teck Resources, which recently donated $2.5 million to the project.

According to local conservation groups approximately 10 per cent of the Radium herd of bighorn sheep is killed annually in vehicular collisions, with the herd’s population dropping from roughly 230 to 120 between 2003 and 2019.

Construction of this overpass will follow a number of smaller initiatives to prevent collisions between the local bighorn sheep population and drivers, such as prominent wildlife signage, flashing LED warning signs indicating the presence of sheep, and a temporarily reduced speed limit.