Last week, the California Coastal Commission approved a permit waiver for Caltrans to install the first of its kind system. It will involve putting 25 transceivers on wooden posts near the highway, which will detect the North Coast鈥檚 iconic Roosevelt elk wearing radio collars up to 150 feet away and trigger a series of alerts to warn motorists.
The project will also involve installing several speed monitors along the mile-and-a-half stretch. The area contains the highest population of Roosevelt elk in the state, which can weigh up to 1,200 lbs.
Stephanie Fredrickson, a branch chief at Caltrans, said the area has been a top priority in the district after a 2019 statewide study revealed the location has higher than average large mammal-vehicle collisions.
鈥淎 lot of this technology has been used for tracking wildlife for research,鈥� Fredrickson said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e attempting to integrate it with the state highway system, so that we can pair it with signs that would allow for early warning for motorists.鈥�
Fredrickson said Caltrans considered building a wildlife dedicated bridge at the location, but after a complete project study report, it was estimated to cost around $30 million. This prompted the agency to instead evaluate the electronic system.
鈥淲e decided to look at a lower cost alternative that relied on improving driver awareness and response,鈥� Fredrickson said. 鈥淩ight now, this location has what we call static signs. These are signs that don鈥檛 change, and drivers become acclimated to them, and, over time, tend to ignore them.鈥�
The new system will alert drivers by triggering a series of flashing lights and changeable messages to warn of elk on or near the roadway.
Caltrans is in the process of developing bids for contractors to install the infrastructure needed to support the transceivers and power supply.
Fredrickson said construction will begin in April or May of 2025. Construction will involve single-lane closure over a two-week period before it is up and running by the summer.
The project is part of a collaborative study between the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Cal Poly Humboldt to see if systems like this are effective at reducing large mammal-vehicle collisions. Fredrickson said over the next four years, researchers will be gathering data which could be used to prevent future collisions.
According to a staff report by the California Coastal Commission, the project area falls within the Yurok Tribe鈥檚 ancestral territory and is close to the Chah-pekw O鈥� Ket鈥�-toh 鈥淪tone Lagoon鈥� Visitor Center, which is run by the tribe. The report stated that 鈥淐altrans has been in close consultation with the tribe on the project鈥� to avoid impacting tribal cultural resources.
