One deer died here every day — until Colorado built them a bridge

The stretch of Interstate 25 between Larkspur and Monument was what one state biologist called 'an effective wall' — cars hit about one deer a day during migration season, and pronghorn had been cut off from the west side of the highway for decades. Colorado answered with a 209-by-200-foot overpass, five underpasses and miles of fencing to funnel animals toward safety. Nine months after it opened in December, wildlife-vehicle collisions are down 91%. Trail cameras show elk herds crossing in groups, bears and coyotes too, and pronghorn back on the west side of I-25 for the first time in decades. The project came in ahead of schedule and under budget — safer roads for drivers, and a way home for the animals.