Preparation and Evaluation of Cervid Fence and Crossing

Moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus) are commonly seen along the stretch of Highway 40 located between Champlain and Trois-Rivières, and the risk of vehicle-cervid collisions is high. To solve this problem and improve road safety in the area, the Ministère des Transports, de la Mobilité durable et de l’Électrification des transports (MTMDET) decided to implement remedial measures. The option of building safe cervid fencing and crossings was chosen following an opportunity study. Groupe DDM considered the project’s technical feasibility by analyzing environmental and technical constraints, preparing various scenarios, estimating quantities and making recommendations. 

The proposed scenarios included building anti-cervid fencing, providing emergency exits for large wildlife (swing gates for moose and escape ramps for deer), installing anti-cervid crossings and gates allowing humans to circulate on either side of the fenced areas, altering certain culverts for use as low crossings for large wildlife, reorganizing lighting in some areas, and installing seasonal signage. Four scenarios, each with its own variations, were proposed, described and commented. One scenario was recommended as being potentially the most effective in reducing the number of collisions in the area under study. It required the construction of just over 31 km of fencing around a sector responsible for 94% of collisions with moose and 82% of collisions with deer between 2004 and 2012. Additional measures were also proposed (low crossings, end effect management, etc.) to help reduce the impacts of habitat fragmentation.