A more than four-year-long project to build what will be the world’s largest wildlife crossing is now weeks away from completion.
"It's been a long, challenging road. It's a monumental project, " said Beth Pratt, President of the Wildlife Crossing Fund. She was one of the driving forces behind the roughly $114 million project.
"We're almost there."
The crossing over the freeway is done, and crews are now connecting it to the hills on both sides of the 101 in Agoura Hills.
"We're putting that mountain back in place," said Robert Rock with Rock Design Associates, which is doing the work.
He said it feels right to use soil displaced decades ago to build the freeway and reconnect the wildlife habitats it separated.
"It's three million cubic feet of soil being put back into place to connect that habitat from north to south."
The project was inspired by research from National Park Service biologists studying mountain lions. They found that the 101 is threatening the genetic diversity of big cats because they can’t safely cross between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills.
The result is inbreeding, which could eventually decimate the species. The crossing will let mountain lions and other wildlife safely travel between open areas and, as they breed, improve their genetic diversity.
"We've been doing wildlife research in this area for decades now, and to see actual science conservation in action with this wildlife crossing being built and near completion is exciting," said National Park Service wildlife biologist Jeff Sikich. He's been researching how urbanization and habitat fragmentation affect mountain lions.
He believes young mountain lions will take advantage of the crossing, as they try to stake out territory as their own home turf. But a big question is what wildlife will be the first to find and use the crossing.
"It'll likely be because of their sheer numbers, a coyote or deer," said the researcher. "We'll see."
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Superintendent Jody Lyle said it’s inspiring to see decades of biologists' research lead to a project like this.
"The wildlife program here at the park has been studying carnivores and other species for 30 years," said Lyle. "What they've been learning over that whole time is really interesting stuff about how wildlife continues to survive and move around in a fragmented urban landscape. The things we've learned over the course of the study really laid the foundation for this wildlife crossing."
While the crossing looks like a fancy bridge to the more than 300,000 motorists who use this section of the 101 daily, the top is covered with soil and plants, so it feels like the surrounding landscape to wildlife using it.
"The Santa Monica Mountains, the entire mountain range, were cut off from the rest of the world when this freeway was put in. That is an ecosystem disruption. So, we are recreating a connection for everything. We needed it to match and to be seamless," said The Wildlife Crossing Fund’s Beth Pratt.
She added that they’ve worked through a myriad of issues that have popped up throughout the project and are now in the home stretch.
The biggest concern now isn’t a construction delay. It’s the possibility that nature might intervene, with heavy El Niño rainfall.
"Keep your fingers crossed. This is the only time you'll ever hear a Californian pray for no rain, at least until December 3," said Pratt.
The good news is that El Niño-fueled rainfall usually comes in late winter or spring, which would mean next year. The project is currently on track for a December 2 dedication.
Pratt said that even though it isn't open yet, the crossing has already inspired a series of similar projects around the world.
