Proposed work on installing underpasses and fencing on a 2.5-mile section of U.S. 64 in Dare County would help reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and provide habitat connectivtiy across the Refuge.
U.S. 64 is the only east–west highway crossing the Albemarle Peninsula and is a designated hurricane evacuation route for Dare County and surrounding coastal communities in the Outer Banks. The roadway passes through more than 158,000 acres of protected Alligator River National Wildlife lands, where wildlife frequently moves across the highway creating documented safety risks for drivers.
What the research says
This area represents the highest-priority segment along the U.S. 64, as identified through research and analysis of historic wildlife-vehicle crash data, wildlife mortality patterns and known crossing behavior of wildlife.
The project builds on a 2023 study by the
Western Transportation Institute, funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with support from the N.C. Department of Transportation and the Wildlife Resources Commission. The study identified the best locations and structure types for wildlife crossings along U.S. 64 in the refuge.
Protecting drivers and critical wildlife
This 2.5-mile stretch of U.S. 64 runs through the home of the only Red Wolf* population in the world. As of 2023, vehicle strikes on this corridor made up at least 20% of all recorded Red Wolf road deaths since reintroduction efforts began in 1987. By addressing a known collision hotspot on an important travel and evacuation route, the project improves safety for both drivers and wildlife.
Research and past projects by NCDOT show that well‑placed fencing can reduce large‑animal crashes by more than 80%. Paired with underpasses, the system will give animals—including black bears, white‑tailed deer, the Red Wolf* and many other smaller species safe places to cross while keeping traffic moving reliably.
Similar safety improvements may be extended across additional sections of U.S. 64 through the refuge as funding allows.
*The capitalization of Red Wolf is an acknowledgement of the cultural importance of the species to several Native American Tribes and their belief that Red Wolves are our equal.