Motorists will only be able to see the top of the wall so their view will not be obstructed, O'Neill said. DOT also plans to build four more culverts for wildlife to use as pathways from one side of the prairie to the other. About 10,000 cars cross there daily. Eighty species have been counted among the dead, mostly frogs, snakes and smaller animals like marsh rabbits. Deer, bobcats and alligators are killed, too, but less frequently.
Many animals try to cross the road in search of food, shelter or mates.
One park ranger saw a water moccasin trying to peel a flattened toad off the road to eat, Weimer said. The road has four existing culverts. The new ones, circular and 3 feet in diameter, will be spaced between them. Preserve biologists plan to experiment with the new culverts to make them as attractive as possible to wildlife, possibly by putting soil or wood in them. DOT will use the U.S. 441 design for other roadkill-heavy areas in Florida, including U.S. 319 through Apalachicola National Forest and roads that lead to barrier islands such as Cedar Key, said DOT ecologist Gary Evink.