A gate that spans two public roads in the Oro Valley just off Oracle Road resembles the vehicular obstacles found on private residential streets.
However, these gates do not hinder vehicles. Rather, they prevent wildlife from attempting to cross the busy Oracle at night, urging wildlife advocates, government officials, and Oracle residents of his 55 single-family homes just west of his road to resolve conflicts. It gave me real peace of mind.
On April 19, over 100 people cut ribbons to celebrate the completion of the Oracle Road Wildlife Gate and Fence Project.
Carolyn Campbell, executive director of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Coalition, said: “For us, this is the culmination of a lot of work and the result of collaboration. Collaboration wins the day.”
When State Route 77 Oracle Road was widened in 2016, wildlife fencing was installed on both sides of the north-south SR 77 corridor from Tangerine Road to the Pinal County Line. The government’s Pima Association/Regional Transport Authority has built a wildlife bridge on Oracle Road between Oro Valley and Catalina, and a wildlife underpass under the six-lane highway. Both are intended to prevent animals from moving out of the oracle.
To direct animals to these safe paths, the plan called for the installation of a 10-foot high wildlife routing fence along the entire western edge of the parcel just above the Big Wash. I didn’t like the idea. Jeez.
When the tall fence began to be installed, neighbors “saw what it was and were against it,” said Paul Kiesler, an engineer and public works director for the town of Oro Valley. “So the construction was stopped.”
“We said, ‘No, Jose,'” said resident Pat Miller. Neighbors said they believed the high fence blocked their view and lowered the value of their homes. “We would never have seen any wildlife inside or outside the yard,” Miller added.
Afterwards, the government and advocacy groups “worked together to understand why our neighbors were against the ugly fence,” Campbell said. The agency promoted science related to fencing. The neighbors simply replied, “You don’t get it.”
“Honestly, we were at odds,” said Kiesler. “I couldn’t find a solution acceptable to my neighbors.”
“At some point, early on, we thought we needed to address a gap,” Campbell said with Oracle. “We had a lot of trouble understanding each other’s positions.”
Then, Miller recalls, the suggestion was, “Why don’t we put a gate across the two streets?”
“Why not ‘gate’ these public roads using sound barriers built along the Oracle to muffle the noise?” Kiesler recalled.
So the town, PAG/RTA, Arizona Department of Transportation, Arizona Game and Fish Service, and the Sonoran Desert Conservation Coalition worked with neighbors to finally change the fence plan and agree on two gates.
These are not vehicle gates, Kiesler stressed.
“This is a public street,” he said, adding that gates cannot be closed to restrict vehicle movement. They are “wildlife gates”. They are always open for cars. “
Drivers don’t need codes or clickers. Sensors embedded in the road surface on the left and right of the gate detect vehicles and start opening and closing. The gate remains open when the vehicle is within the turning range. The gate is aesthetically tied to the sound wall with stone blocks and a desert-colored iron fence. An adjacent pedestrian gate allows people to pass through at any time.
After dark, the gates close, making it difficult for the driver to see the animals. “At that time, we are trying to prevent them from crossing Oracle Road,” said Cheryl Hule, the town’s senior civil engineer. They open at dawn. On this day, when the gates opened, neighbors reported that seven Javelinas left one of the subdivisions and moved across the Oracle.
“Wildlife is certainly part of our lives,” Oro Valley Mayor Joe Winfield said at the ribbon-cutting. It should help “safely move across the land,” crossing deserts and waterways surrounded by the Santa Catalina and Tortorita mountains, the mayor said. “It’s in their interest and it’s in the driver’s interest.”
Funding was obtained from PAG/RTA. The PAG/RTA manages funds from voter-approved half-cent sales taxes to pay for local transportation-related projects. The town acted as project manager. The work was done by contractors such as AECOM, Sellers & Sons Inc., Ninyo & Moore and Tucson Electric Power.
Keesler said he believes the solution may be the first of its kind. “This was a very innovative design,” he said. “We hope to see more of these,” as PAG/RTA prepares to ask voters to renew his 20-year sales tax for transportation and related improvements. said Campbell.
“This project is a true group effort to find solutions to protect wildlife without compromising our beautiful scenery,” the mayor said in a release. We thank our residents, conservation groups and community partners for sharing their perspectives and working with the town of Oro Valley on this incredible project.”
Last Wednesday, the mayor acknowledged that “working with neighbors is important.”
The community is now inhabited by wildlife, the scenery is protected, and creatures are blocked from nighttime encroachments throughout the Oracle. “Congratulations to all on this amazing result,” Miller concluded.
