A Convenient New Commute for Washington’s Coyotes

Author: Jessica Leigh Hester / Source: Atlas Obscura

On December 6, 2018, a lone coyote darted across Interstate 90, near Snoqualmie Pass in central Washington. The highway delivers motorists through the Cascade Mountains, and it can be a bumpy and dicey ride. The route is often hazardous and slick with snowfall—an average of around 330 inches a year. Collisions are common.

Happily, the coyote fared just fine. “This coyote safely crossed the highway,”

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insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");, “avoiding traffic, anvils, ACME rockets & roadrunners!” In fact, the animal didn’t have to dodge speeding cars and trucks. In the video

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, there’s no trace of asphalt or cars—just dirt, trees, and mountains, and the edge of a bridge on the far right of the frame.

The coyote was the first confirmed user of the state’s newest and largest wildlife bridge, which caters to furry quadrupeds, instead of the quad-wheeled bipeds who cross their paths.