In what is being seen as the largest such state appropriation in the country, New Mexico is set to spend upwards of $50 million to fund construction of new highway wildlife crossings.
The funding was approved earlier this year by members of the New Mexico State Legislature in House Bill 5 and subsequently signed into law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.
The legislation is in response to a report published some three years ago called the New Mexico Wildlife Corridors Action Plan which pinpointed specific areas in the state’s roadway system with a high incidence of wildlife and vehicle collisions.
It is estimated that there are well over 1,000 such collisions in New Mexico on an annual basis.
A wide variety of animals have made it to a list put together by the New Mexico Department of Transportation and New bMexico Department of Game and Fish as the most vulnerable to being killed by a vehicle. That list, with black bears, cougars, badgers, and even Gila monsters, is not only extensive, but represents a variety of the state’s wildlife.
The building of the wildlife crossings will vary in terms of size. According to earlier reports the crossings may either be under a bridge or over it. A project that will see the construction of an overpass on U.S. Highway 550, is expected to span some 16 miles and be built in four stages.
A portion of that project is currently in a design phase scheduled for completion by the end of this year.
June 3, 2025
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Pixabay
