Trump has begun another trade war. Here's a timeline of how we got here
Canada's leader laments lost friendship with US in town that sheltered stranded Americans after 9/11
Chinese EV giant BYD's fourth-quarter profit leaps 73%
You're an American in another land? Prepare to talk about the why and how of Trump 2.0
Chalk talk: Star power, top teams and No. 5 seeds headline the women's March Madness Sweet 16
Purdue returns to Sweet 16 with 76-62 win over McNeese in March Madness
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a $92.6 million project designed to reconnect fragmented habitats across the 101 Freeway, is entering its most challenging and final stage in July. The work includes building a 175-foot tunnel under Agoura Road to link the crossing to the Santa Monica Mountains, a task that will require several months of daytime road closures starting in early August.
The massive effort is considered the world’s largest and most ambitious wildlife crossing. Once complete, it will connect the Santa Susana Mountains to the north and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south, offering safe passage to wildlife from lizards to mountain lions. The ultimate goal is to improve habitat access, genetic diversity, and survival chances for species long isolated by the 10-lane freeway.
The tunnel construction will require burying overhead wires, relocating water lines for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, and stabilizing an underground waterway known as No-Name Creek. Additionally, crews must navigate carefully around a grove of mature native oak trees while installing two retaining walls and pouring a 54-foot-wide concrete roof.
After the tunnel is completed, workers will relocate a small mountain of soil originally excavated in the 1950s during freeway construction to create a sloped shoulder connecting the tunnel to the surrounding habitat. Two miles of galvanized steel fencing will also be added to funnel animals toward the crossing and away from human infrastructure.
The bridge structure itself is already complete, though planting is scheduled for fall. A cover crop of native species, including golden yarrow, California poppy, Santa Barbara milk vetch and giant wildrye, has already been hand-sown. These plants, grown with mycorrhizal fungi and microbes harvested from within a three-mile radius, are designed to mimic the local ecosystem.
The native flora are being cultivated at a project nursery nearby. Beth Pratt, California regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation and head of the Save LA Cougars campaign, said full-scale planting will take place in October.
Pratt said that the project has always been about re-creating nature as much as possible on a foundation of concrete and steel.
C.A. Rasmussen Inc., the Valencia-based contractor that completed the first phase, will lead this final stage. Weather delays in 2022 and 2023 have pushed the project’s anticipated completion to late 2026. Funding includes $58.1 million from the state of California as part of its 30 by 30 conservation initiative, with the remainder from private donations.
Pratt acknowledged that recent tariffs have raised new financial concerns. “Robert [Rock] and CalTrans have been working around the clock to redesign and value-design to get the costs down, which is why we’re able to proceed [with Stage 2],” she said. “The team work has been extraordinary.”
While the project may need additional funds —the two miles of extra-tall fencing alone is expected to cost around $2 million — current cost adjustments appear to have the budget under control. “They got them down again, so I think we’re home free,” said Pratt.
Even as construction continues, signs of success are emerging. Last week, Pratt spotted a Western fence lizard basking atop the unfinished bridge — the first non-insect animal to be seen using the structure.
“I stopped the group ... and told them — ‘You are seeing the first animal on the crossing itself,’” she wrote in an email. “Everyone cheered. Even the lizard seemed to know it was a special occasion. He posed for the photos I took.”
Agoura Road closures will be partially implemented during daytime hours. Rock said the contractor must provide a 30-day notice before full closures begin. Final hours are still being negotiated with the city of Agoura Hills.
