Latest news with #BethPratt
The Drive
4 days ago
- General
- The Drive
World's Largest Wildlife Bridge Spanning 10 Lanes of 101 Freeway Is Nearly Complete
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Three years after construction began, it's time to dump dirt on the project. Specifically, 6,000 cubic yards of a 'super' soil followed by the planting of 5,000 native flora. I'm talking about the world's largest wildlife crossing, which has reached another construction milestone as the bridge nears completion. This prepared soil is the beginning of the end of construction for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which broke ground on Earth Day in 2022. Located in Agoura Hills, California, the nearly one-acre overpass stretches over a 10-lane section of U.S. 101. The physical bridge structure is essentially complete, having required 26 million pounds of concrete, Beth Pratt of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) told KCAL . The NWF Regional Executive Director added, 'We just put the soil on top, and then we start burying utility lines and extend it over the access road.' Multiple layers of soil will be needed to create a wildlife habitat on the overpass, and the soil application alone will take several weeks. However, when the Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is done, the bridge will reconnect the bisected areas of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. With more than 150,000 acres, SMMNRA is the country's largest urban national park. But the freeways have long isolated the local fauna, from butterflies and cottontails to bobcats and mountain lions. According to the project, as far back as the 1980s, researchers identified the Liberty Canyon area as a choke point for wildlife. However, it wasn't until the National Park Service began a decades-long study of the region's mountain lion population that the 101 freeway was deemed 'the most significant barrier to the ecological health of the region.' More than 300,000 vehicles travel along U.S. 101 daily. That's enough traffic to give a driver anxiety—try being a local critter having to dart across the road just to find dinner. P-22, arguably the most famous mountain lion in and outside of Hollywood, surprised everyone by crossing freeways on his own. He eventually became the poster cat for the 'Save L.A. cougars' campaign. Unfortunately, he was euthanized in late 2022 after being found with severe injuries, likely due to a vehicle collision, and a myriad of other health issues. Mountain lions are the main conservation focus of this wildlife bridge. The big cats are territorial, and being locked in by freeways limits their roaming range and biodiversity. Without the crossing to expand their habitat, SoCal cougars could be extinct within 50 years. They also continue to be killed by vehicles. 'In the Liberty Canyon area where we're putting the crossing, within the last four years, we've had four mountain lions killed just in that general area,' Pratt said. Not just providing access to more sources of food, shelter, and mates, but the bridge would also offer an escape route from wildfires and other disasters. The Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is expected to reach completion next year.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Authorities take major step toward completing world's largest wildlife bridge: 'It's happening'
Wildlife advocates in California are one step closer to completing the world's largest wildlife crossing bridge. Conservationists and project partners recently laid the first layer of soil on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a massive bridge that provides a safe way for wildlife to traverse U.S. Route 101 in Agoura Hills, California. The 210-foot by 174-foot crossing, which will be off-limits to humans, will create nearly 1 acre of wildlife habitat once it is complete. It was designed as a habitat-connecting corridor for native wildlife like bobcats, gray foxes, coyotes, and deer. But the primary inspiration for the project was the mountain lion. California is home to about 3,200 to 4,500 mountain lions, one of the largest populations in the country. Mountain lions are a threatened species, with about 20,000 to 40,000 living in the U.S. today. Research estimates mountain lions could become extinct in the Santa Monica Mountains within 50 years or less without intervention. CBS News reported that mountain lions are isolated because of California's massive freeways, which act as barriers across the region. Wildlife advocates hope the crossing will help protect wildlife and commuters by reducing the risk of vehicle collisions. Every year, collisions between vehicles and large animals lead to an estimated 1 million to 2 million accidents, resulting in around 26,000 human injuries and 200 fatalities, per The Pew Charitable Trusts. Animal crossings have proved to be an effective way to reduce wildlife-related collisions. In Arizona, the construction of more than 20 wildlife corridors has led to a 90% decrease in these incidents, according to National Geographic. Notably, the project will use more than 6,000 cubic yards of specially engineered soil enriched with local microorganisms to support native plant life. " It wasn't just a bag of soil you bought from Home Depot. [It] had to be cured and meticulously prepared," Beth Pratt, California regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation and leader of the Save LA Cougars campaign, told LAist. "This habitat on top is a result of a lot of design, engineering, and planning — and it's happening." Approximately 5,000 native plants, grown from more than 1 million locally collected seeds, will soon be planted to create a thriving habitat. Plant-covered 12-foot-tall sound walls will minimize light and noise pollution from the 10 lanes of rushing traffic below, making the crossing more appealing for wildlife. Wildlife officials told LAist that 300,000 to 400,000 cars cross this section of the 101 freeway daily. According to Federal Highway Administration data, the 101 is one of the top 25 busiest highways in the U.S. "We have to … almost trick [the animals] into thinking they're not on the freeway," Pratt told LAist. "And sound and light blockage is a big piece of that." Beyond its functional purpose, the crossing is a powerful symbol of human efforts to heal environmental harm, supporting native animals with long-overdue respect and consideration. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "This is the first natural layer," Pratt told CBS News of laying the soil. "For me, what I can envision with that is a mountain lion's paw print in the soil." The project, expected to be completed by late 2026, is estimated to cost $92 million upon completion. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
