The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is receiving a $6.1 million grant to reconstruct part of US-27, in an effort to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.
The grant is part of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, which awards a total of $125 million in grants for wildlife crossing projects in 16 states, as well as one Native American tribe.
The stretch of US-27 is in southern Highlands County, and the project is titled the Venus Wildlife Crossing project, since it is near the community of Venus, Florida. The project will reconstruct a 0.38-mile stretch of US-27, raising the roadway as well as creating a new wildlife crossing underpass and adding two miles of fencing to guide animals to the crossing.
Protecting Paradise
Why have Florida panther deaths surged this year?
The aim of the project is to reduce deadly collisions with species such as the Florida panther — an endangered species that has seen a spike in deaths in 2024 — as well as alligators, white-tailed deer and black bears.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 36 panther deaths have been reported in the state this year, and half have been in Collier County, which is south of Highlands County. FWC officials said more than 75% of the panthers killed this year have been hit by vehicles.
This is the second round of grants issued through the Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program, which is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
