Lanes on Highway 101 near Agoura Hills will shut down overnight starting Sept. 21, as work continues on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.
The closures are scheduled to start around 7 p.m. Monday, between Liberty Canyon and Chesebro roads, according to the California Department of Transportation
. Plans call for closing both northbound and southbound lanes overnight, as crews add striping to the roadway.Construction started around four years ago on the bridge over the freeway, a barrier for mountain lions, mule deer and other wildlife in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Billed as one of the largest urban wildlife crossings, experts say the 210-foot-long bridge may help save an isolated mountain lion population from extinction.
In the first
phase of construction, the crossing took shape over the 10-lane freeway. A second stage includes extending the crossing over Agoura Road and filling in the slopes leading to open space on either side.
Plans call for opening the crossing later this year. A mix of public funds, private grants and donations was raised to pay for the estimated $114 million project, including the designs, studies and construction.
When will Highway 101 close this week?
Planned closures are set to start Monday night and run through Thursday morning, officials said.
Northbound, one lane will be closed from 7-10 p.m., up to two lanes will close from 10 p.m. to midnight and up to three lanes will close from midnight to 5 a.m. Up to two lanes also could remain closed from 5-6 a.m., officials said.
Southbound, one lane is expected to be closed from 8-10 p.m., up to two lanes will be closed from 10-11 p.m. and up to three lanes will be closed from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. In addition, up to two southbound lanes could remain closed from 4-5 a.m. and one lane will be closed from 5-6 a.m.
Caltrans said that weather or other factors could prompt changes to the schedule and urged drivers to check quickmap.dot.ca.gov for current road conditions.
Why build the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing?
The area near Liberty Canyon is one of few places left that has natural habitat on both sides of the 101. The land also is publicly owned and protected from development.
The National Park Service has studied mountain lions in the area since 2002 to see how they're surviving in an increasingly urban area. Researchers have found that mountain lions and other animals approach both sides of the freeway but few attempt to cross it.
The small cougar population in the Santa Monicas Mountains is boxed in by development and highways, obstacles that have led to inbreeding, low genetic diversity and lions killing each other. Crossings can reduce collisions with wildlife but also add connections to other areas and reduce isolation, experts say.
For live webcams and more information, visit 101wildlifecrossing.org.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Highway 101 lanes to close in Agoura Hills for wildlife crossing work
