If you’ve driven past Agoura Hills recently, you’ve probably noticed the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is still giving heavy construction energy. With a $92 million price tag and only about 10 weeks left until the grand opening, it lowkey looks like there is a ton of work left to be done.
The timeline crunch
Despite the site looking like a total work-in-progress, officials are keeping it real and sticking to their guns. The California Natural Resources Agency confirmed that December 2 is still the big day. They are even planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a public P-22 Legacy Celebration over at King Gillette Ranch that everyone is invited to pull up to.
To get this finished on time, crews are keeping a section of Agoura Road closed on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through November 30. That gives the team exactly two days between wrapping up road work and the official opening. It’s definitely a tight squeeze, but the project’s website notes that some finishing touches and planting will continue even after the bridge opens to animals.
Why it matters
This bridge is a huge W for local wildlife. The 101 Freeway has basically acted as a concrete wall for years, trapping mountain lions and other animals in isolated pockets of the Santa Monica Mountains. Once it’s fully covered in native plants, it’ll be a total game-changer, allowing animals to safely cross the highway and roam their natural habitat again. Construction faced some major Ls from heavy rain and flooding over the last two springs, which pushed back the original 2025 timeline, but the end is finally in sight.
