Long-Awaited Wildlife Crossing To Break Ground On Earth Day

AGOURA HILLS, CA — The much-anticipated Wallis Annenberg Wildlife crossing will break ground on Friday, which is Earth Day.

The bridge will ultimately be 210 feet long and 165 feet wide and will span all 10 lanes of the Ventura Freeway at Liberty Canyon in Agoura Hills. It is meant to promote biodiversity among Southern California mountain lions, which are isolated by the freeway, by connecting them with mountain lions in Northern California. Researchers predict the Southern California mountain lions could become extinct within 50 years.

Residents and local politicians will gather Friday at King Gillette Ranch at the site of the crossing for a celebration of its groundbreaking. The groundbreaking ceremony will take place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., with a celebration following featuring games, cougar-related prizes and food, according to Save L.A. Cougars.

The event will also be livestreamed to Save L.A. Cougars' website.

Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed the project into motion in January with a $10 million allocation in his annual budget. Newsom's announcement closely followed a $25 million challenge grant from Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation.

The total price tag for the crossing is $90 million, according to Marketplace.

The crossing is a collaboration among Save L.A. Cougars, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the National Park Service, California Department of Transportation, California Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, National Wildlife Federation and the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains. The project also included local partners such as the city of Agoura Hills.