Land bridge leads way in wildlife protection

Although many consider Texas a place of wideopen spaces, a rapidly expanding labyrinth of roads, highways and fences continues to cut and fragment our state. This development harms wildlife when it bisects their homes and migratory paths — and it also harms people.

Vehicle collisions kill more than 1 million large animals each year on U.S. roads — that’s roughly one large animal every 26 seconds. And that’s not counting smaller mammals and birds that are struck. Wildlife experience a life-threatening situation any time they attempt to cross a road. Highways are their killing grounds, as is evident from the many carcasses found along them.

This gruesome problem requires city planners, conservationists and government officials to identify innovative solutions to protect both people and animals.

While we are unable to undo all the harms brought about by development, there are mitigative answers. Creating new parks and wildlife-management areas helps to preserve wildlife, as large, open green spaces provide safe havens for animals to congregate. These areas also reduce fragmentation. Constructing wildlife corridors, which are safe pathways over or under roads and highways, is a good option because they allow animals to safely navigate between humandeveloped spaces.

The iconic Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge, located in the 330acre

Phil Hardberger Park, is the largest land bridge in the United States that allows both animals and people to cross at the same time. Stretching over the six-lane Wurzbach Parkway (scheduled to become an eight-lane highway), the bridge allows animals to avoid the 30,000 cars that buzz below daily. That means safe passage for animals wanting to eat, drink, mate or enjoy roaming their natural habitat. It also provides a scenic passage for the 1,000 people who visit the park daily.

Before the city of San Antonio erected the bridge, crossing animals frequently died and threatened drivers. In addition, park visitors had to drive 2 miles to go from one side of the park to the other. Those problems have been fixed.

Constructing the innovative structure required several steps. Initially, the land bridge was built

with a traditional frame complete with concrete, rebar and steel girders. But when that part was completed, the bridge took on some additional, and unusual, materials. Crews covered the metal and concrete with more than 3 feet of dirt so the bridge would look like a small hill. Flowers, grasses, trees and other native vegetation were then planted in the dirt, and a hiking trail was added.

The bridge married modern construction practices and landscaping. The planted greenery has now grown to make a natural separation between park visitors and animals so both can use it at the same time. The Tobin bridge is large, two-thirds of a football field long and wide, and it has become part of nature’s rolling green landscape. With adequate maintenance, the Tobin land bridge should last hundreds of years. It is a testament to the

harmony and commonality of all life — whether it be people or animals.

The Tobin land bridge is just one example of the success these throughways can deliver.

Research shows that wildlife corridors designed to help animals cross over or under highways effectively reduce wildlifevehicle collisions by as much as 97 percent. Not surprisingly, other cities across Texas are beginning to develop wildlife crossings of their own. Houston’s Memorial Park land bridge and the Laguna Atascosa tunnels in Los Fresnos, are examples of Texas taking this powerful solution seriously.

New federal support will enable Texas to build more wildlife corridors. President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure package includes a $350 million pilot program for wildlife crossings. These funds will allow for the

construction of other wildlife crossings across the country, protecting more animals and people.

We’ve all been taught we have a role to play as stewards of our planet; the Bible and other religious texts teach us God created the heavens, Earth and all living creatures. Regardless of one’s religious affiliation, we can agree that we have a duty to be the stewards of this lovely planet. The Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park accepts the challenge of stewardship, while enriching the lives of San Antonians. We hope other cities will join us.

William Luther / Staff The land bridge has kept wildlife safe, connected Hardberger Park and set the pace for the rest of the nation for wildlife crossings.