Costa Rica Legislative Assembly Advances Landmark Bill Mandating Wildlife Crossings for Infrastructure

The Costa Rican Legislative Assembly approved a bill requiring safe wildlife passages in all road infrastructure to protect biodiversity and reduce animal deaths.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 25, 2026, 9:43 AM EDT

Source: The Tico Times

Integration of Wildlife Protection into Public Planning

Introduced by Frente Amplio lawmaker Ariel Robles Barrantes, the bill addresses a long-standing gap in Costa Rican environmental law. While the country has historically implemented sporadic wildlife crossings, there has been no binding legal framework requiring them across all tiers of public infrastructure. The new mandate applies to both national and cantonal roads, ensuring that safe passage structures are integrated into the initial design phase of any project affecting biological corridors or protected habitats.

Under the new regulations, the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT) and local municipalities must coordinate directly with the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC). This coordination is designed to ensure that the placement and type of crossings—whether aerial bridges for primates or underground culverts for larger mammals—are based on rigorous technical and scientific data regarding animal movement patterns and roadkill hotspots.

Retroactive Mitigation for Existing Road Networks

A significant provision of the bill extends these requirements to existing infrastructure. Older roads that cut through sensitive ecological zones will no longer be exempt from wildlife protection standards; instead, mitigation measures must be included in any future maintenance, expansion, or renovation projects. This "retroactive" approach aims to repair fragmented habitats that have been disrupted by decades of road development.

To facilitate this, the bill grants SINAC a 24-month window to identify the most critical "collision points" across the current national road network. This data will serve as a roadmap for the Executive Branch to issue specific regulations defining the design criteria, monitoring protocols, and maintenance responsibilities for each relevant institution.