Reducing the number of animals on the roads keeps us all safe. Swerving to miss or hitting animals can cause harm to humans as well our four-legged friends. And just because we build a road and fill it with cars doesn’t mean animals don’t need to get from point A to point B.

With the number of animal and animal-related fatalities on the rise, some areas with plentiful (and endangered) wildlife are trying out a unique solution: wildlife bridges and tunnels (also called ecoducts).

“Over the most recently reported 15-year period, wildlife-vehicle collisions have increased by 50 percent, with an estimated one to two million large animals killed by motorists every year,” Rob Ament, a road ecology manager, told National Geographic.

And the average deer-car collision? That’ll not only cost an animal its life but costs drivers an average of $8,190!

Luckily, after trying the unique wildlife-friendly traffic solution, many parts of the world have seen a decrease in the number of traffic accidents involving animals.

And it’s not just bridges but animal underpasses as well that are making the difference.

These structures are generally covered in flora that makes them more attractive to animals than the roads.

And the foliage makes them blend in with the environment instead of becoming one more concrete eyesore.

Despite their effectiveness, they took a while to catch on. The first wildlife bridge was installed in France in the 1950s but it took decades for them to become more common.

Ament and other road engineers like him are hoping to integrate the construction of wildlife bridges and underpasses into new bridge construction from the start – that will make them a lot cheaper and easier to install than trying to retrofit them onto old roadways.

And so far it doesn’t take much convincing for animals to use them. A bridge currently being constructed on Route 90 in Washington state isn’t even complete yet and animals are already using it. It doesn’t even have the foliage installed!

It turns out most animals know how to stay safe if given the opportunity.

And it’s not just road accidents that threaten animals. If roads cut them off from north-south routes that they would normally use to migrate, there’s a better chance that a population will stay insulated and inbreeding will occur. That makes the genes of any species weaker and animals more vulnerable to extinction.

“Localized extinction happens when populations can’t find each other, and if they don’t have genetic variability, they will blink out—especially low-mobility species in old-growth [forest],” wildlife biologist Patty Garvey-Darda told National Geographic.

But it’s not as simple as “if you build it they will come” for all animals.

Some species require certain conditions in order to use the bridges and underpasses – certain types of construction or flora – and ecologists need to be consulted at the beginning in order to build the most effective structures.

So it’s not as simple as just repurposing an old overpass with some trees or digging a tunnel.

According to National Geographic:

“A 2014 study in Banff looking at DNA obtained from black bear hair samples and camera data showed that breeding females preferred overpasses, but males liked underpasses.”

It’s clear that a lot of work from a variety of different experts goes into making ecoducts work, but it’s worth it in the end, not just ecologically speaking but financially.

These unique structures are clearly a win-win for humans and wildlife, so long as they’re built correctly.

Be sure to scroll down to see some of the most successful animal bridges and underpasses being used around the world.

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Source: National Geographic