Construction begins on the world's largest wildlife overpass in Los Angeles County

Located at Liberty Canyon and Highway 101, the Annenberg Valley Wildlife Crossing is a collaborative effort of various organizations and institutions. Key partners in this project include Caltrans, the National Park Service, the Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy, the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority, the Santa Monica Mountain Resource Conservation District, and the National Wildlife Federation.

The primary goal of the wildlife crossing project is to establish a safe and sustainable animal crossing over Highway 101 near Liberty Canyon Road in Agoura Hills. This initiative aims to reduce wildlife mortality, facilitate animal movement and promote genetic exchange. Without a dedicated crossing, the ability of wildlife to move between different natural habitats in the Santa Monica Mountains is severely limited.

Recently announced by Makena Sivertson, Caltrans will implement lane closures on Highway 101 in Agoura Hills for construction work at the Wildlife Crossing. Beginning April 15, 2024, all southbound lanes of the freeway will be closed for five hours each night. Construction crews will install the initial girders, which are large, reinforced concrete boxes that form the base of the wildlife crossing structure. These girders will support the span of the busy highway crossing.

During construction, the closure will extend from Liberty Canyon to Chesebro roads, while the northbound lanes will remain open with detours for motorists. Groundbreaking for the project took place on Earth Day 2022, with an expected completion date of early 2026. For more details, see the original source article.