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LA Wildlife Crossing Saves Animals, Stops Traffic Disruption

Photo Courtesy 101 Wildlife Crossing

To protect California’s mountain lions from the rush of oncoming traffic in the massive urban sprawl that is Los Angeles, you’d have to be pretty innovative. The Annenberg Foundation, a charitable grant provider, is funding the construction of a 210-foot-long landbridge over the 101 Freeway near the heart of L.A. The organization is working with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). 

This crossing will allow mountain lions and other California wildlife to safely pass between the Santa Monica and Santa Susana mountain ranges. The idea has been researched and studied for more than 20 years, but it wouldn’t be until 2016 that the ball got rolling. The bridge will have 82 concrete girders placed to support a massive horizontal road that connects a major biodiversity hub on the West Coast.

Wallis Annenberg, chairman, president, and CEO of the Annenberg Foundation, raised funds with more than 3,000 private donations, philanthropic and corporate.

By 2021, the foundation had donated a $25 million challenge grant. The total cost of the bridge is nearly $92 million. 

“We all cheered when the crane lowered the first concrete beam across the freeway, as we truly saw the bridge starting to take shape,” Beth Pratt, California regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation, said in a news release. “This structure is a testament to us all wanting a future for wildlife and mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains.” 

Photo Courtesy Zach Key

The project idea would not have been possible without the story of P-22, a local mountain lion that wandered into Griffith Park and crossed two freeways in his lifetime. His tale spawned coverage from outlets like The New Yorker as one of L.A.’s local legends. P-22 passed away in 2022, but his experience became synonymous with wildlife displacement caused by major highways.

It is speculated that P-22 wandered so far to find a mate, but the highways cut him off from other mountain lions.

Scientists explained to CBS that the crossing would increase the likelihood of successful mating between the lions.

It will also save the lives of animals and people, as wildlife-related auto accidents result in around 200 deaths in the United States. 

L.A. drivers will have to find alternative routes from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. during construction (as if L.A. traffic wasn’t bad enough). 

“This project is truly incredible. As the largest wildlife crossing of its kind in the world, it will provide lifesaving habitat connectivity to a broad array of animals for decades to come,” Wade Crowfoot, California secretary for natural resources, said in the commemorative booklet of the 2022 groundbreaking ceremony. “It also shows us what is possible when unique partners come together to think creatively and then act boldly and decisively. I think we will look back decades from now and realize that this project galvanized a new era of conserving and reconnecting nature.” 

Video Courtesy CBS Sunday Morning

Similar passages for wildlife exist in other states. I-90 in Washington has a “critter crossing” near the Snoqualmie Pass. State authorities say that more than 5,000 animals have crossed the bridge in 2023. Camera traps captured coyotes, mule deer, and other animals migrating over the bridge. 

Underground passages in Florida under I-75 allow alligators and panthers to pass through. Highway 1919 in Wyoming is a known pronghorn sheep crossing. Montana has a moose and bears underground passage. These projects have helped continue biodiversity and avoid extinction due to group inbreeding, which biologists say leads to weaker gene pools. 

Depending on timelines and construction, the Wallis Annenberg Crossing won’t be completed until 2025 or 2026. However, once it is up, it will save the lives of motorists and mountain lions alike.

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