The wildlife intersection, designed to support mountain lions, deer, bobcats and other creatures, will safely travel 101 highways between Smile Hill and the Santa Monica Mountains on Monday as workers lay the first layer of soil on the elevated tracks.
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing extends over the 10-lane highway in Agra Hills and becomes the largest intersection in the world. It is designed to help animals avoid being killed while roaming urban habitats. It is too late to help Los Angeles’ beloved Mountain Lion P-22 expand his territory, but this passage allows mountain lions and other wildlife to move further away for food and companions.
Small amounts of PUMA populations were separated by highways, and their offspring showed signs of birth defects.
“Imagine the future of all the wildlife in our area. In our area, we can survive and thrive, and this first placement of soil on the bridge means another step closer to reality,” philanthropist Annenberg said in a statement.
“This extraordinary structure reconnects not only animals but the entire ecosystem and protects this global biodiversity hotspot. This moment marks another great milestone against that goal.”
The crew is working on the wildlife intersection in Agula Hills in mid-October.
(Brian van der Bragg/Los Angeles Times)
The Annenberg family foundation was a major donor in a $92 million effort to create a bridge 21 feet and 8 inches above the highway. Construction of the 200-foot, 165-foot-wide bridge, originally conceived more than 30 years ago, begins in 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2026.
When the project was announced, Wade Crowfoot, secretary to the California Department of Natural Resources, said that we cannot restore and protect our nature, our biodiversity, and that we are not able to restore and protect our biodiversity.
On Monday morning, workers begin placing soil (sand loam mixed with lightweight volcanic aggregate) on wildlife overpasses. The process is expected to take several weeks, requiring 6,000 cubic yards of soil, and about 2.5 feet of soil is enough to cover three-quarters of American soccer fields.
Coastal sage, buckwheat, wild grapes, wild flowers, milkweed and other native plants are then planted in almost acre of habitat. Oak and other trees and plants are planted on 12 acres on either side of the wildlife intersection.
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