POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A first-of-its-kind construction project is underway in Florida.
The state is building its first wildlife crossing over Interstate 4 to connect wildlife north and south of the busy highway.
WATCH BELOW: Why conservationists are calling the project 'fantastic'
"It'll be the first dedicated wildlife crossing overpass in the state of Florida," said Brent Setchell with the Florida Department of Transportation.
He said not only will it save the lives of animals, but also protect drivers.
"You never like to see roadkill, so that's one reason why," Setchell said. "Obviously, driver safety is another big benefit of wildlife crossings."
Construction has just begun to build an $18 million wildlife crossing over I-4 about a mile east of State Road 33.
It will link the Saddle Creek and Peace River areas with the Green Swamp. It will be 44 feet wide with vegetation and noise barriers.
"We've documented wildlife in the area out there," Setchell said. "There's deer on the north side, and we've had bobcats and coyotes in the area, so we think within no time wildlife will start utilizing the crossing."
Setchell said that since it opened last year, thousands of animals have used a wildlife crossing in another area under I-4.
"This project is fantastic," Jason Lauritsen, the chief conservation officer for the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, said.
He said I-4 is one of the most fragmented roads in Florida for wildlife.
"It's divided the state into two halves, and there are not very many places that wildlife can get across," Lauritsen said.
The mission of the wildlife corridor is to connect wildlife from Georgia and Alabama to the Florida Keys.
"It really represents our best chance to preserve the wonderful wild places and biodiversity that Floridians have been stewarding for centuries," Lauritsen said.
The project is set to be completed by 2027.
