One June 2024 morning, the heat and humidity took backseat to the excitement of the event when Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District One, State legislators, Polk County officials, NGO representatives, and others met to witness the official ribbon cutting for the newly completed wildlife crossing on I-4. The crossing is located east of the new SR 557 interchange and connects portions of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)’s Hilochee Wildlife Management Area previously bisected by the interstate. The new crossing is located within the Green Swamp Florida Forever Project, an area of approximately 280,000 acres, containing a mosaic of cypress swamps, pine forests, and pastures, and the headwaters of four major river systems. The Green Swamp also provides an important wildlife corridor between the expanding cities of Tampa and Orlando.

The $73 million infrastructure project primarily focused on improving traffic patterns and safety at the interchange of SR 557 and I-4, while also including the construction of the first dedicated wildlife crossing on I-4. The crossing consists of a 61-foot wide, 67-foot long, 8‑foot-high bridge that will allow terrestrial animals ranging from raccoons and white-tailed deer to Florida black bears and Florida panthers, to pass safely underneath the highway above. The crossing also includes a water crossing for smaller aquatic species like turtles, and fish, as well as just over a mile of 10-foot-high fencing along the interstate to help funnel animals to the crossing. The crossing is the first of three proposed wildlife crossings on I-4, one of which will be the first dedicated wildlife overpass.

The State of Florida contains about 60 wildlife crossings and bridges, with most of those located in FDOT Districts One and Five (spanning roughly southwest and central Florida), an area that is home to the only breeding population of Florida panthers, and many of the core subpopulations of Florida black bears. Since its completion in 1965, I-4 has been connecting the state’s east and west coasts as one of the most highly traveled corridors. Wildlife crossings are not only beneficial to animals, but also to humans traveling along roads. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) estimates about 200 people die each year in more than one million vehicle crashes with wildlife. At least two male panthers and multiple black bears have failed to- successfully cross I-4, but wildlife crossings such as this will help to mitigate future wildlife deaths by vehicle collisions.

Johnson Engineering conducted a wildlife crossing re-evaluation project for FDOT District One in 2016, to reassess potential wildlife crossing locations along I-4 in Polk County, including the site that is now the completed crossing. In a separate project for FDOT, Johnson Engineering wildlife biologist, Dr. Jennifer “Jen” Korn, took the lead placing cameras under bridges and wildlife crossings from I-4 to Alligator Alley to monitor for use by Florida panther, Florida black bear, white-tailed deer, and other species that cover large distances and rely on wildlife corridors. Dr. Korn attended the ribbon cutting in June to watch the culmination of all the hard work by FDOT and their partners (construction contractors, engineers, environmental consultants, NGO representatives, and more).

Two of the headliners of this effort were FDOT District One’s Brent Setchell (Drainage Design Engineer) and Nicole Monies (Environmental Permits Coordinator) pictured above. News footage from the ribbon cutting and drone views of the entire wildlife crossing can be viewed at FDOT’s YouTube page at the following link: https://youtu.be/Gug2TWjc0vA?si=aJAQWn6nFQ2U0hXs.

For more information, contact Jen Korn at [email protected].