Southern California wildlife crossing construction reaches major milestone
Construction on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing reached a major milestone on Monday.
Workers began laying dirt down on the bridge spanning the 10 lanes of the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills that will allow wildlife to cross over the freeway safely.
Aerial footage from Sky5 provided a better view of crews working to lay more than 6,000 cubic yards of soil as the sun broke through the clouds Monday morning.
-
Aerial footage from Sky5 provided a better view of crews working to lay more than 6,000 cubic yards of soil on Monday, Mar. 31, 2025. -
Crews celebrate laying soil down on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing on Monday, Mar. 31, 2025. -
Construction on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing Bridge seen here. (KTLA) -
A rendering of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. (Living Habitats and National Wildlife Federation) -
A rendering of the wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills. (Wallis Annenberg Foundation)
Stretching over 200 feet long and 165 feet wide across the roadway, the bridge – billed as the world’s largest wildlife crossing – will connect two natural landscapes that have long been bisected by one of the nation’s busiest highways.
It is funded through a public-private sponsorship, with $34 million in funding provided by donors, while the state put forward more than $58 million. The price tag for the project was originally estimated to be more than $90 million.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last May that the wildlife crossing should open by early 2026.
KTLA 5’s Olivia De Bortoli spoke with experts to gather more details behind the construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. The interview can be viewed here.