World’s largest wildlife crossing on California’s 101 Freeway nears finish line
Officials announced Dec. 2, 2026, as the opening date for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. The bridge will span 10 lanes of freeway, giving wildlife a safe path across.
Crews placed the first layers of soil over the surface of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills, California, on March 31.
California is set to open the world’s largest wildlife crossing before the end of the year, according to Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing project managers, who shared the update on Earth Day.
The $92 million vegetated bridge is under construction across U.S. 101 to help mountain lions, bobcats, foxes and coyotes cross safely. The overpass is expected to be about 210 feet long.
A view of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing as still under construction in Agoura Hills, California, United States on April 18, 2026. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is a large, vegetated overpass under construction in Agoura Hills, California, spanning US-101 Freeway. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Managers said the 210-foot-long crossing will open for wildlife on Dec. 2, 2026.
Crews broke ground on the crossing on Earth Day in 2022, but the project has faced setbacks from its initial completion goal of 2025, including two consecutive springs impacted by record rain and flooding.
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the world's largest wildlife bridge, crosses U.S. Route 101 on March 7, 2026, in Agoura Hills, California. The bridge, when completed, will allow wildlife to safely cross the freeway between the Simi Hills and Santa Monica Mountains. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
“These events had a measurable impact on the project schedule as time has had to be allotted for the site to dry out following large rainfall events,” according to the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing website.
Multiple other wildlife crossing projects in the United States have proven effective, according to Animal Road Crossings (ARC). Last year, Colorado opened the Greenland Wildlife Overpass, connecting 39,000 acres of habitat along Interstate 25. Deer began using the crossing just days after it opened.
The 101 Freeway at Liberty Canyon was selected after a crossing site assessment by experts.
A view of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing as still under construction in Agoura Hills, California, United States, on April 18, 2026. It will be the largest wildlife crossing in the world, connecting the Simi Hills and Santa Monica Mountains. It's one of the biggest infrastructure construction projects currently underway in Southern California and planned opening late 2026. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“The location is already a natural funnel from open space north and south, leading animals to the last 1,600 feet of protected space on either side of the freeway. The National Park Service has also documented multiple mountain lions attempting to cross at that location,” according to the project website.
Animals will be guided to the safe passage through multiple methods, including exclusionary fencing, landscaping and vegetative cues.
Report a Typo
