Caltrans will close half of Highway 101 starting next week to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills.
All lanes in one direction will be closed at once, starting Monday with southbound lanes, according to the California Department of Transportation. The lanes will be closed each night for five hours from 11:59 p.m. Monday to Friday.
The bridge will be the largest wildlife crossing of its kind and aims to save a threatened population of mountain lions. Experts estimate that more than 500 mountain lions have been killed on California highways in the past eight years, a rate that scientists say could exceed the animals’ reproductive rate.
The lanes are expected to be closed for about two to three weeks in one direction before switching to lanes in the other direction, Caltrans said. The closures are expected to last a total of 30 to 45 days from the start date.
Crews will install steel beams – long reinforced concrete boxes – across the highway to construct the vegetated bridge, according to Caltrans.
The projected cost of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is $92 million, half of which comes from donors.
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