Layout 1 (Page 1) - Nebraska Department of Roads

Deer Fence Planned on I-80Plans are underway to buildthe state’s first deer fencealong both sides of I-80 fromthe Mahoney State Park inter -change east to the Pflug Roadoverpass in Sarpy County.The 8-foot-tall fence—electrified onthe east side of the Platte River—willreplace the existing right-of-way fenceand will follow the same generallocation.This four-mile stretch of the inter -state was part of the Lincoln toOmaha six-lane expansion project,which reconstructed the pavementand rebuilt the existing bridges. Thefence was identified as a need duringthe planning phases of this project,according to Brian Johnson, an NDORRoadway Design engineer whodesigned the deer fencing project.During the I-80 expansion project,the bridges were hydraulicallyimproved with larger openings, or“undercrossings” to lessen the impactof ice jams on the Platte River, butmonitoring showed they were alsoused by deer. According to Johnson,the purpose of the deer fence is toredirect the deer to use theseundercrossings.Better Field of ViewThe undercrossings provide a betterfield of view for the deer. In addition,the bridges were slightly modified byremoving the Riprap (large rocks) thatwould have been under the structureand replaced with interlockingpavement blocks, which improvewildlife access, while also limitingerosion from water off the bridge deck.While the deer fence was originallyplanned to the east of the Platte River,to Ruff Road, approximately two mileseast, after further examination, sixyears of deer-vehicle collision (DVC)rates were noted to be higher to thewest between the Platte River andMahoney Interchange. According toJohnson, between 1998 and 2003, theportion of I-80 near Mahoney StatePark had 4.2 deer-vehicle collisionsper mile, per year—the highest rate inPhoto by Brian Johnson, NDORDeer undercrossings along I-80 in Sarpy County provide a better field of view for deer.Interlocking pavement blocks improve access and limit erosion.the state. I-80 just east of the PlatteRiver Bridge had 2.4 hits per mile.NDOR determined that a deer fencewould additionally be constructed tothe west of the Platte River to coverthe higher DVC location.The deer fence project was done inconsultation with the Nebraska Gameand Parks Commission. Both agenciesspent about five years studying thebest way to keep deer from crossingthe interstate at that location beforemaking their decision.Others involved in the deer fenceproject design include NDOR High -way Environmental Biologist EricZach and UNL’s Wildlife Specialist,Scott Hyngstrom. Dave Braaschwill conduct UNL’s monitoring byengaging in the camera placement,weekly acquiring photos from thecameras and carcass data.The fence will be electrified forthree miles, only on the east side ofthe river, where deer like to eat incorn fields. A one-mile stretch alongthe west side of the river will haveonly woven-wire fencing because ofthe proximity of Eugene T. MahoneyState Park, cabins and other touristattractions.The electrified portion will stop thedeer from trying to knock down ordig under the fence. NDOR officialshave research that supports theeffective ness of the fence they planto install, known by the brand nameElectrobraid. In a 2002 field test inOhio, researchers reported that thefence was 99 percent effective instopping deer that were trying toreach corn-feeding stations.According to Johnson, the deerfence project will cost $1.1 million instate and federal funds, 90 percentprovided by the Federal HighwayAdministration and 10 percent fromNDOR. The project will be completedin about a year and once the fence isfinished, the project will be monitoredfor a year. A public informationmeeting was held on March 9, withmany favorable comments receivedabout the fence. ◆Roadrunner April/May 2010 13