101 Freeway shutdown in LA will allow major work on a 'wildlife crossing' bridge

The 175-foot wide wildlife crossing will connect two mountain lion roaming grounds, the Santa Monica Mountains and the Sierra Madre Range. In essence, it removes the wide freeway as a barrier, allowing mountain lions as well as bobcats, deer, coyotes even birds and butterflies to safely cross, going from the Santa Monica range into the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains to the north of the 101 Freeway.

Big cats trying to cross the freeways have resulted in more than 35 mountain lion deaths. The most famous cougar, P-22, miraculously crossed the 101 and 405 Freeways and made Griffith Park his home for 10 years until his death in December 2022, ironically from a vehicle-strike.

The mountain lions, or cougars, are hemmed in by the 101, 5 and 405 freeways. These big cats are trapped, forced to procreate with cousins in a limited gene pool that produces diseased offspring. Scientists estimate that without a larger range in which to mate, the unique Los Angeles urban lions could be extinct in 15 years.

Construction of the wildlife crossing began in 2022. Construction was delayed last year and this year due to spring rains, said Beth Pratt, California regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation and founder of The Wildlife Crossing Fund, in an emailed response on April 8.

“The two record wet springs in a row have now pushed the completion date from the original projection of the end of 2025 into 2026,” Pratt wrote.

She asked commuters and residents to be patient during the overnight freeway closures.

“We are calling these ‘closures for cougars,’ ” Pratt wrote. “We know that closures of the freeway do have impacts on traffic and the community, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but know people understand these closures are for a good cause — helping to save the area mountain lions from extinction and ensuring a future for all wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains.”

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