After years of planning and much anticipation, the world's largest wildlife crossing is beginning to take shape on Highway 101 in Agoura Hills.
New aerial images released by state transportation officials show the early stages of construction of sound walls and concrete barriers on both sides of the bridge deck, which spans eight lanes of traffic along the Santa Monica Mountains.
Installation of the steel beams was completed in April and crews have since been assembling wooden forms and placing reinforcing rods in preparation for the concrete pour.
Construction on the $92 million wildlife crossing, officially named the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, began in 2022 and is scheduled to be completed in early 2026. The 200-foot-long, 165-foot-wide bridge will be the largest of its kind in the world and will serve as a critical lifeline for the many animals that have attempted to cross the busy highway.
Earlier this summer, a mountain lion was hit and killed not far from where the crossing is being built.
Scientists and conservationists say this wildlife passage will also be crucial to reestablishing gene flow between the small, isolated populations of cougars trapped south of the freeway in the Santa Monica Mountains, and the cougars confined to the north in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains.
There are also signs that other animals are already beginning to use the crossing, and a native plant nursery is preparing to plant the bridge with local sages, shrubs, milkweed and other vegetation.
Construction activities are ongoing and Caltrans officials noted that daytime ramp closures may occur intermittently Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the 101 Liberty Canyon Road southbound off-ramp and the 101 Liberty Canyon northbound on-ramp.
Live traffic updates and road closures can be found at QuickMap.dot.ca.gov.
Webcams are also available on the project website, where you can follow the progress of construction and observe passing wildlife.
