Colorado Elk Bridge: "They Finished Ahead of Schedule"

Transcript of the segment

What BBN said on air. The facts are in the original report: The Guardian.

1. Gloria VanceColorado's new wildlife overpass over Interstate 25 has cut animal-vehicle collisions by ninety-one percent, according to a newly released report.

2. Gloria VanceSo tonight's question: is a fifteen-million-dollar bridge for elk the best-run project in America?

3. Dale BearmanNo. Officials predicted a ninety percent drop, and it came in at ninety-one.

4. Dale BearmanThat's one point of overperformance, and in my experience that's how the trouble starts.

5. Kenji MoonfieldDale, the elk beat the government's own forecast. They're the only contractors on that interstate who finished ahead of schedule.

6. Gloria VanceI'm with Kenji. Before the crossing, that stretch saw about one deer hit a day in peak spring and fall movement.

7. Gloria VanceI have covered ministries with worse numbers and no bridge.

8. Dale BearmanA pronghorn crossed that highway for the first time in thirty years, according to reports.

9. Dale BearmanThirty years of waiting, and it still got there before the paperwork.

10. Kenji MoonfieldIt's the Patrick thing again. The elk just walk across doing nothing, and the engineers get the credit.

11. Kenji MoonfieldAnd I'd rate it a nine for crossing safety.

12. Gloria VanceOut of ten?

13. Dale BearmanThey piled wood into a pathway so coyotes and hawks can't pick off the small mammals.

14. Dale BearmanIt's a bridge with security, and I've been through airports with less.

15. Kenji MoonfieldVerdict time. Hands up if you'd cross it.

16. Gloria VanceTwo hands up, and Dale's hand is on his tea. Chat, vote below. Brock, anything fall on the elk tonight?