arc wildlife crossing
The ARC wildlife crossing is located where natural and human-dominated worlds collide. The site sits 3,000 meters above sea level, at a critical elevation in regard to climate change, between the rapidly urbanizing metropolitan area of Denver and the resort communities of Aspen, Vail, and Breckenridge, Colorado. The site is identified as a critical habitat linkage in this region of the Rocky Mountains and is home to wildlife such as black bear, cougar, bobcat, Canada lynx, coyote, elk, deer and American marten. Just north of the site are the two biggest migrations of Elk and Deer in the United States. This project will provide safe crossing and linkage for the abundance of wildlife in this area, while also creating awareness and promoting education on the highly traveled I-70 corridor. As a member of a multidisciplinary team, led by Balmori Associates, Bluegreen provides expertise of designing and building in alpine environments. Exclusively, Bluegreen contributes an understanding of the native plant palette and its design application to ensure a vibrant ecosystem and facilitate safe wildlife passage.
project type: ideas, site planning, landscape architecture
location: vail, colorado
client: western transportation institute