April 20, 2017

Tangerine Road and La Cholla Boulevard will soon be the home of more new wildlife crossings in Pima County. Five new wildlife underpasses are currently under construction on Tangerine Road and three new wildlife underpasses are currently in the design phase for La Cholla Boulevard. The Tangerine crossings are in the Town of Marana near the intersection of Tangerine and Thornydale. The La Cholla crossings will be between Tangerine and Overton Roads. 

All of the new wildlife underpasses are being designed for small mammals and will be 6-9 feet in height. We expect a wide range of animals to use the crossings, including coyotes, javelinas, foxes, desert tortoises, and more. 

These crossings are being funded by the “Wildlife Linkages” funding stream of the Regional Transportation Authority. This funding stream is $45 million of the $2 billion RTA budget and is dedicated to infrastructure projects that promote connected wildlife linkages. 

As this area of Pima County continues to grow, these new wildlife underpasses  will make our roadways safer for motorists and connect critical open spaces for wildlife to migrate, forage, and seek out mates. 

To learn more about the new La Cholla Road wildlife crossings, check out this recent Fox 11 News story: http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/35151207/three-new-wildlife-crossings-to-be-built-along-la-cholla

Thank you for your continued support of connected Sonoran Desert wildlife linkages and safe roadways for motorists and wildlife! 

Tags: La Cholla Boulevard, RTA, Tangerine Road, wildlife crossings, wildlife linkages