A planned wildlife undercrossing on US 50 between Placerville and El Dorado Hills has failed to secure funding twice. The corridor ranks among the top ten worst segments in California for wildlife-vehicle collisions, according to an Aug. 6 report from the El Dorado County Transportation Commission (EDCTC).
EDCTC began work on the undercrossing project in 2024, the executive director's report from Woodrow Deloria states. The project first applied for the 2024 Federal Wildlife Crossing Program but was not selected.
The team then pursued funding through the State Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB). EDCTC submitted a $4.5 million application during the first week of March 2026, the report states. In late April 2026, staff learned the application would not be considered for funding.
The WCB is no longer prioritizing planning projects and is instead prioritizing construction projects, according to the report.
EDCTC and its partners are now working to downscale the project. The goal is to identify a top-priority construction project that could win funding in a future round.
The collision problem along this corridor drew fresh attention on Wednesday, Nov. 11. A post on X highlighted a UC Davis report on wild animals killed on California roads, noting deer collisions are particularly common in western El Dorado County.
No timeline for a new EDCTC funding application has been announced.
