North America’s largest wildlife overpass has cut vehicle collisions by 91 percent on a stretch of Interstate 25 in Colorado, nine months after opening.

The 209-by-200-foot structure near the Greenland exit lets elk, pronghorn, mule deer, black bears and mountain lions cross six lanes of traffic safely. Before it opened, the corridor averaged roughly one deer hit per day during peak migration.

The overpass connects 39,000 acres of habitat on both sides of the highway, restoring migration routes that large mammals rely on for food, breeding and seasonal movement. It cost about 15 million dollars and finished ahead of schedule.

Colorado governor Jared Polis called it what smart infrastructure looks like: protecting wildlife while making roads safer for everyone.

The success is already a model. At least 19 American states are now building or planning wildlife crossings of their own, showing that roads and nature can share the landscape safely for generations to come.