Florida's interstate land bridge over I-75 just south of Ocala, served as the Nation's first land bridge to serve both wildlife and people by connecting protected land areas across a major highway. The bridge provides safe passage for a number of species, (humans included), as part of the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway. Florida houses yet another similar wildlife channeling greenway over I-95 near Palm Coast. A third bridge has recently been envisioned over I-4 in Volusia County to connect portions of the Tiger Bay State Forest.

Although development pressures in the state have experienced some degree of stagnation recently, the overall trend of residential and transportation development in the state, and its expanding encroachment upon vital wildlife territories, continues to rise. Proponents of wildlife transportation crossings in the form of under and overpasses across hazardous roadways have a good foundation for hope, as more and more ideas of habitat protection and connection are considered in the course of new highway and neighborhood development projects. Biodiversity planning and the connection of protected spaces through projects such as these have much to offer in the way of effective habitat conservation in Florida's future.

Undertakings of the wildlife overpass magnitude can be very expensive indeed, limiting the number of protective crossing infrastructure projects that may be accomplished in the near future as the costs of materials, labor, etc. increase. It also becomes increasingly expensive and difficult to retrofit old roadways in desperate need of help for wildlife crossing safety. Furthermore, with Florida Forever's demise on the horizon, and uncertain plans as to a successor program, the acquisition of important preservation areas to connect faces similar limitations in coming years. It becomes increasingly clear that the continued advocacy of wildlife habitat planning in the realm of transportation development will be of paramount importance for the future of endemic Floridian species in the face of development pressures. 

Check out the article online at:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/state/orl-corridorslid08jan07,0,1996352.story?page=1

For more information on wildlife bridges and other crossing structures, check out: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.americantrails.org/i/resourceimages/landbridge2600.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.americantrails.org/resources/structures/CreativeCrossings.html&h=305&w=600&sz=67&hl=en&start=35&um=1&tbnid=rI8nXSn-tqkVhM:&tbnh=69&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3DFlorida%2Bwildlife%2Boverpass%2Bi%2B75%2Bphotos%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

For more information on wildlife habitat planning and transportation, check out info on our site: Transportation Planning, Design and Management to Support Wildlife