The World's First Squirrel Bridge
Every year, about 41 million squirrels die on roads while looking for food. This problem bothered Amos Peters, an architect in Longview, Washington. In 1963, he created the world's first "squirrel pedestrian bridge."
Peters and his co-workers often saw squirrels hit by cars near their office. One day, Peters found a dead squirrel with a nut in its mouth. This sad sight pushed them to act. They decided to build a bridge for squirrels.
They formed a committee and got approval from the City Council. The first Nutty Narrows bridge was 60 feet long. It was made from aluminum and fire hose and cost $1,000.
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Start Your News DetoxThe bridge quickly became a tourist spot. People reported seeing squirrels successfully cross the road, even teaching their young how to use it. Peters received fan mail after the bridge gained worldwide attention. One letter praised him for helping "little creatures."
Expanding the Idea
The original Nutty Narrows bridge was repaired in 1983 after 20 years of use. Today, Longview has nine squirrel bridges. In 2026, the project expanded to Duvall, a nearby city.
Nikita Kozhekin, a Duvall resident, led the effort for the newest bridge. He lives next to a busy road and saw many squirrels nearly hit by cars. Kozhekin told KING 5 News that road crossings are dangerous for all wild animals. He also noted that bridges help drivers avoid swerving for squirrels.
Kozhekin was inspired by a similar event to Peters'. He saw a Douglas squirrel killed by a car, still holding a hazelnut from his yard. He buried the squirrel and felt strongly that these unique Pacific Northwest squirrels needed protection.
Kozhekin worked with his city council, mayor, and public works director. He needed permits and approvals from neighbors. He contacted about 80 engineers before finding Andrey Pilat, who helped design the bridge.
The Douglas B. Squirrel Memorial Bridge is 80 feet long and 16 feet off the ground. It's a simple rope connecting two trees. After some initial doubt, squirrels discovered the bridge within a week and now use it often. Kozhekin even uses a trail camera to record them.
Duvall's new bridge joins those in Longview and others in Europe. It's a simple solution that began over 60 years ago. Kozhekin dreams of a world where all trees are connected by bridges, creating safe habitats for animals.
