Posted on 03/25/2022 7:09:21 AM PDT by SJackson
LOS ANGELES -- Groundbreaking is set for next month on what's billed as the world's largest wildlife crossing — a bridge over a major Southern California highway that will provide more room to roam for mountain lions and other animals hemmed in by urban sprawl.
A ceremony marking the start of construction for the span over U.S. 101 near Los Angeles will take place on Earth Day, April 22, the National Wildlife Federation announced Thursday.
The bridge will give big cats, coyotes, deer, lizards, snakes and other creatures a safe route to open space in the Santa Monica Mountains and better access to food and potential mates, said the wildlife federation's Beth Pratt.
“Crossings like this are nothing new," Pratt said, noting there is one outside Yosemite for toads. "This one's historic because we're putting it over one of the busiest freeways in the world.”
She helped organize the project along with other conservationists and state transportation officials.
Pratt said the bridge will be the first of its kind near a major metropolis and the largest in the world, stretching 200 feet (61 meters) above 10 highway lanes and a feeder road just 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of downtown LA.
Construction will take place mostly at night and won’t require any lengthy shutdowns of the 101 freeway, officials have said. It's slated to be completed by early 2025.
The $90 million price tag will be covered by about 60% private donations, with the rest coming from public funds set aside for conservation purposes. The span will be named the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, for the philanthropist whose foundation donated $25 million.
Gov. Gavin Newsom called the project an “inspiring example” of public-private partnership.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Meanwhile, humans could use some upgrades to the freeway system to alleviate traffic jams.
Meanwhile, our roads on the San Francisco Peninsula are crumbling to pieces and are now worse than those in most any third world country. We have no snow, ice, or road salt, yet we have car-swallowing potholes everywhere.
How long will it take for Vegas to start posting odds on the number of drivers that will be taken out after the first 7+ earthquake?
The crossing was built because of urban sprawl. If you add an illegal population larger than the number of people in Chicago every year the sprawl gets greater.
This is one critical point that Republicans ALWAYS miss when debating the environment with Democrats. The more people pile into the country, the less area is left for wildlife. The answer is not more windmills and wildlife overpasses, the answer is to stop illegal immigration.
Big kitties find new grazing grounds dogs go missing.
Here in S.E. Michigan deer are hit by vehicles everywhere.
Several weeks ago I visited a friend who lives about 55 miles north of me and counted 8 deer on the side of the freeway that had been hit by vehicles.
It won’t be long before Snowflakes are using them for hiking trails and campgrounds.
Currently the largest one in the US is here in San Antonio at Hardberger Park. Pretty amazing, actually.
"My father knows the sheriff." she replied.
I asked her to elaborate, as I was a bit slow on the uptake.
"Well, when a deer is killed by a car, the sheriff always calls my father."
"So, I'm eating road kill then?"
She was not amused at what I meant as a joke.
"I assure you sir that my father knows how to dress a deer and it is perfectly safe." She then huffed away in disgust.
The steak was delicious!
Someone has to educate me- wildlife crossings? Are there signs posted for the animals to read “cross here?” I haven’t heard of these before.
In the Chicago area “wildlife crossings” are called “ expressways”.
That was my first thought — squat here for hunting, we are channeling game along this path.
Another thought: this will help bring predators into LA area. With most of the residents unarmed, lions and such will have access to immense amounts of protein. Yay, for nature!
I’m all in favor. Have always liked animals better than humans. Np pretense, no politics, they just are what they are.
US 101, the road being bridged over, was built in 1926.
Buzzard crossing,
Social space for beastiality
Up and coming area..
Buzzard breath..prog rock
https://rumble.com/vyfolj-buzzard-breath.html
bookmark
So the apex predators will be sitting at both ends of this funnel just waiting, and lesser animals will know this and avoid it like the plague.
Hope it has high sides, first time mountain lion goes for a deer and tries to corner it the thing is going right on up and over. Hitting a deer in the road is bad enough, hitting a flying deer is gonna be much worse.
Meanwhile the potholes go unfilled. Th roads deteriorating.
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