DIALOG has received the Minister’s Award for Transportation Innovation at the Consulting Engineers of Alberta Transportation Connects Alberta conference for its design of the new Bow Valley Gap Wildlife Overpass. The overpass expands DIALOG’s portfolio as its seventh overpass in Alberta, with three additional crossings planned in collaboration with the Province.

Designed to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) in the Bow Valley Corridor while maintaining critical animal migration routes, the Bow Valley Gap Wildlife Overpass is the first wildlife overpass in Alberta located outside of Banff National Park, where crossings are managed federally by Parks Canada. DIALOG provided structural engineering and landscape architecture for the Overpass to advance transportation safety and wildlife conservation.

Located east of Banff between Lac des Arcs and Highway 1X, The Bow Valley Gap Wildlife Overpass will reduce WVCs on one of Alberta’s busiest stretches of roadway. Traffic counts currently exceed 22,000 vehicles per day on average, and up to 30,000 vehicles per day during the summer. In the planning and preliminary design phases, DIALOG conducted extensive research on wildlife habitat locations and movement corridors, wildlife-vehicle collision data, and geotechnical and roadway considerations.

The arches are covered with soil and vegetation which ties into the surrounding topography and landscape; a crucial design element that encourages wildlife usage. The project also includes 12 kilometers of exclusion fencing along the highway to funnel wildlife to the overpass and a series of “jump outs” to allow animals who enter the right-of-way to exit safely.

“DIALOG is proud to advance highway safety and environmental preservation across Western Canada through the successful implementation of seven wildlife overpasses,” states Neil Robson, project manager and design lead at DIALOG.

According to the Ontario Nature Centre for Social Innovation, it is estimated that a wildlife-vehicle collision occurs every 38 minutes in Canada, with associated costs reaching up to CAD $200 million annually. Wildlife-vehicle collisions not only lead to fatalities and serious injuries but also endanger certain species, putting them at risk of extinction and threatening Canada’s biodiversity. As a solution, wildlife overpasses, carefully constructed to blend with the surrounding environment and often covered in native vegetation to mimic animals’ natural habitats, are strategically designed to encourage animal crossings while enhancing road safety.

Wildlife overpasses have emerged as a major success in advancing both highway safety and environmental conservation. In Banff National Park, the crossings have contributed to an 80 per cent reduction in large-mammal collisions, according to Think Wildlife Foundation. To further support local ecosystems and driver safety, Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors has engaged DIALOG in the design of three additional wildlife crossings.

“At DIALOG, we’re proud to partner with Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors on initiatives that enhance both driver safety and the protection of Alberta’s wildlife,” states Robson. “Our focus remains on designing innovative infrastructure solutions that balance the needs of people and the environment, ensuring long-term benefits for all.”