Mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, gray foxes, mule deer, and other wild animals will soon gain a safer route across one of Southern California’s busiest freeways. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing spans 10 lanes of U.S. 101 at Liberty Canyon in Agoura Hills. Project organizers call it the largest crossing of its kind in the world. About 300,000 vehicles use the freeway each day.
For decades, the freeway has divided the Santa Monica Mountains from the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains. Caltrans describes U.S. 101 as a virtually impenetrable barrier for many species. Animals who need room to move and reproduce have been cut off, leaving mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains with dangerously low genetic diversity.
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing (Oak City Drone/Adobe Stock)
The new bridge turns the space above the pavement into a living route. Nearly an acre of native vegetation will cover the crossing, and more than 10 acres around it are being restored. Together, the planted crossing and restored habitat will give wildlife a safer way over traffic and help restore gene flow between isolated populations. Caltrans says the project should also reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and deaths.
The crossing will not be a public trail, but a public celebration is scheduled sometime in December at King Gillette Ranch for a ribbon-cutting that will be livestreamed. Long-term research and habitat restoration will continue at the site after opening.
California wildlife have already shown how quickly safer passages can help. Deer used a newly built crossing over U.S. 97 within 15 hours of construction crews leaving for the day. Lady Freethinker celebrates this long-awaited route for animals who deserve to move through their own habitat without risking their lives in traffic.
