BECKET, Mass. (WWLP) - MassDOT is receiving $1.7 million to build a bridge that will allow animals to cross over the Mass. Pike in Becket. The bridge is designed to guide animals over or under busy roads, rather than across them, to reduce the number of animal and vehicle collisions on the road. The bridge will replace an existing overpass where the Appalachian Trail meets the highway in Becket, an area that sees a high number of collisions between drivers and deer. Deer wearing hi-visibility vest spotted in Michigan There are more than one million crashes involving wildlife each year in the U.S., and 3,700 last year in Massachusetts alone. "There were almost 30 deer crashes just last year in Beckett alone in that region," said Mark Schieldrop, spokesperson for AAA Northeast. "I think this is a good place to put it because we see a lot of deer crashes in that area in general." While this will be the first bridge of its kind in Massachusetts, there are already existing, successful bridges in the western United States, Canada, and throughout Europe. Cameras in passageways have recorded animals using the crossings, from elk and deer to wolverines and bears. Berkshire County residents are all too familiar with unpredictable animal encounters, hoping the Becket wildlife bridge follows suit. "If you're driving after dark, it really gets a little bit scary because they do jump right in front of you and there's absolutely nothing you can do," said Sandra Nunn of Otis. She did, however, wonder how the bridge will work. The design will combine research on deer behavior and existing, successful wildlife crossings in other areas of the world. The key design component is the fencing, which will funnel the animals towards the crossing. The end goal is to keep animals off the roads without interfering with the habitat they need to survive. Local News Headlines Coexisting with bears topic of monthly Berkshire Green Drinks event MassMutual Center presents over $5K check to Springfield Boys and Girls Club Springfield Fire Dept. mechanic retires after 38 years Report: Massachusetts ranks low for states people choose to move to WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.