Beneath a bustling stretch of Fairfax County Parkway lies a little-known wildlife crossing that might hold the key to reducing animal-vehicle collisions in Virginia.
Last Wednesday (Oct. 30), Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) and State Sen. David Marsden (D-35) toured the underpass nestled between Davison Army Airfield and Fort Belvoir. Constructed in the 1990s and still one of the state’s few such installations, the 192-foot-long, 20-foot-high structure facilitates safe migration for species from deer and bears to snakes and turtles.
Recently, federal and state leaders have begun recognizing its value as a model for wildlife-friendly infrastructure. However, Beyer and Marsden say the main obstacle to expanding the concept is securing funding at the federal or state level.
“There’s something like 9,000 deer collisions in Virginia every year,” said Beyer, who has championed federal legislation to connect wildlife corridors. “The [auto] body shop business is like $20 million … The very few deaths we’ve had in 50 years was deers hitting cars and then killing the people inside the cars. So, this is a really important thing for the American consumer and for the American pocketbook.”
Beyer says he’s making headway in gathering support from fellow lawmakers for the Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act, which would create a nationwide system of wildlife corridors designed to allow species to move safely between habitats.
The legislation proposes a program to help map and protect wildlife paths, supported by state, local and tribal governments. It also creates a funding program managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Service to finance the conservation projects.
During the tour, Jessica Roberts, the director of habitat connectivity at Wild Virginia, highlighted the unique design of the wildlife crossing beneath Fairfax County Parkway, where it’s situated between protected habitats.
Unlike most others in the state, this crossing accommodates both aquatic and larger terrestrial species, she noted.
Emphasizing that the crossing’s expansive size and innovative elements — such as grates that allow light and vegetation through — not only prevent collisions, but also bolster ecological connectivity, Roberts championed the design as a model for Virginia to emulate, with the goal of minimizing collisions and conserving biodiversity across the state.
“It has a sister crossing about a quarter mile down the road, a little bit smaller … but the rest of our underpasses in Virginia were not built to facilitate aquatic or terrestrial passage,” Roberts said. “So, what we’re advocating for today is to get those structures built for wildlife passage, as well as mitigating anything like flood resilience. ”
Marsden, a staunch advocate of wildlife corridors, says the crossings help protect the state’s biodiversity and have the potential to save Virginia drivers billions in costs annually.
According to Wild Virginia, the state records more than 60,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions each year, costing an average of $41,000 per incident. Implementing underpasses and fencing in high-risk areas can reduce collisions by 96%, the nonprofit notes.
“It benefits everyone,” Marsden said.
Despite the economic incentives, Marsden reported difficulties in garnering support from lawmakers, especially in rural areas, where there is a perception that these projects are merely altruistic efforts rather than practical, beneficial solutions.
“I think we need to focus on leadership in the [state] Senate and House [of Delegates] to make sure that they understand … there’s real, practical benefits to the citizens,” he said.
Currently, the average cost of building exclusionary fencing is $425,000 per mile. Expanding an underpass or culvert ranges from $500,000 to $2 million, while constructing an overpass typically costs about $5.7 million. However, the state only needs to provide 20% of the funding as seed money for each project.
Marsden says he’s made attempts to secure state funding dating back to 2020, but often encounters resistance from colleagues who suggest prioritizing available federal funds before committing state resources.
Although Marsden says he believes a federal-led approach could generate momentum and support at the state level, he insists the ultimate solution is to secure funding directly in the governor’s budget.
“We’ll be talking more about strategy on how to get this thing done,” he said. “It’s a good cause. Nobody hates it, but it’s just a question of how to make people fall more in in love with it.”
