Roads for Yosemite Toads

Every spring, Yosemite toads set out across the alpine meadows of the Sierra Nevada to find a mate. They have been observed crossing busy, and lethal-to-toads, Highway 108 in large numbers. Their travel patterns, together with habitat loss and chytrid fungus, were contributing to the toads’ decline and they were given “threatened” status in 2014.  Based on observations of their travel habits and their willingness to use existing culverts, biologists and design engineers joined forces to develop a solution. Timed in conjunction with highway repairs to save money, they designed an undercrossing to accommodate the toads’ natural travel patterns safely.