RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia Department of Transportation is working to make roads safer for both wildlife and motorists.

The agency’s research division is conducting a three-year study on animal travel patterns that is set to be completed in late 2015.

Officials say the study targets a section of Interstate 64 on Afton Mountain in Albemarle, Augusta and Nelson counties due to the high number of related crashes in those areas.

When the study began in 2012, deer-vehicle collisions were the third-most frequent type of accident in the region.

Officials say the study is a step forward in understanding how, when and where animals are crossing roads and how to adapt accordingly.

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