Photo courtesy of Caltrans

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced that the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing outside of Los Angeles is on track to open by early 2026

The world's largest wildlife crossing is getting closer to becoming a reality.

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced that the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing outside of Los Angeles is on track to open by early 2026.

Photo courtesy of Caltrans

Ahead of National Infrastructure Week, Newsom also announced that construction crews are now more than halfway through installing the beams that form the crossing. The work is part of Newsom's infrastructure agenda to build more, faster.

In May, the first of 82 large concrete beams went up over U.S. Highway 101 at Liberty Canyon Road in Agoura Hills. The project has been made possible by a successful public-private partnership. Philanthropy has raised more than $34 million in funding, while California has provided $58.1 million in funding.

"Our work to build more, faster is already paying dividends across our state," said Newsom. "This wildlife crossing is just one example of how California is building infrastructure that connects rather than divides. With projects like this, we're reconnecting and restoring habitats so future generations can continue to enjoy California's unmatched natural beauty."

Project Need

• U.S. Highway 101 is one of the biggest barriers to wildlife connectivity in Southern California. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will reconnect habitats and improve the health of the environment for many species in Southern California, including people;
• More than 30 years of conservation work has gone into strategic habitat linkages on both sides of U.S. Highway 101 so that this wildlife crossing will connect protected lands in the Santa Monica Mountains and the Sierra Madre Range;
• The overpass will reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions on one of the most congested highways in North America, decreasing the significant danger posed to people and vehicles by crossing animals;
• The crossing will provide a safe and sustainable passage for wildlife across U.S. Highway 101, creating increased access for animals to find food, shelter and mates, which is increasingly important in light of climate change and continued human development that is pressuring species survival;
• This project will help educate millions of Californians driving under the crossing and advance California's 30×30 goal to conserve 30 percent of the state's lands and coastal waters by 2030, ensuring that wildlife can move across conserved habitats that provide shelter, food and water.

On Earth Day 2022, Newsom participated in the ground breaking for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a public-private partnership of monumental scope that has leveraged the expertise and leadership of dozens of organizations and institutions to protect and restore wildlife habitats in Southern California.

Wildlife crossings of all kinds are essential to building a network of interconnected conserved lands and waters that protect and restore biodiversity while also supporting transportation infrastructure.

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