Highly-anticipated construction of a major new wildlife crossing began in April 2022, and the massive project is taking shape before our eyes over the 101 in Agoura Hills. A new aerial video from Caltrans shows exactly how much work has been done on the crossing, with the deck now fully paved across the entirety of the freeway. Teams are now starting to erect sound walls and concrete barriers. The project has an anticipated finish date in 2026, over a decade after it was first ideated by the National Wildlife Federation and Caltrans. At 200 feet long and 165 feet wide, this will be the largest wildlife crossing in the world.
Watch the video below to see the wildlife crossing at its current construction stage. The video shows multiple angles of the construction with Agoura Hills traffic moving unobstructed in both directions.
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, partially funded by Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation, will provide a crucial link to other habitats for wildlife including coyotes, bobcats, and deer. Mountain lions are of particular concern, as local populations are suffering from inbreeding and vehicle collisions.
Connections will be reestablished between key wildlife areas including the Santa Monica Mountains, Simi Hills, Santa Susana Mountains, and Los Padres National Forest. Renderings show the crossing blending in seamlessly with the surrounding landscape, serving to aid an ecosystem that’s been severely degraded by human development.
Caltrans is managing construction for the crossing. Most of the heavy construction takes place at night, with periodic directional freeway closures. Usually, this means a partial closure between midnight and 5 AM, with traffic redirected onto Agoura Road. You may also find intermittent ramp closures during the day between 9 AM and 3 PM. You can see the current project and traffic status via live webcams on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing website.