The self-congratulatory name for the “Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon”–over the 101 Freeway–will never be said by the intended beneficiaries: Animals. As their website says: “Wildlife crossings restore ecosystems that had been fractured and disrupted. They reconnect lands and species that are aching to be whole. I believe these crossings go beyond mere conservation, toward a kind of environmental rejuvenation that is long overdue.” It a $92 million being spent–largely private and some public money we are told–due to open in December, that is “reconnecting a fragmented landscape in the Santa Monica Mountains for all wildlife and pulling the region’s cougars back from the brink of extinction.”
The California Post published photos of the construction project that is planned to open on December 2nd and it looks pretty far from completion. Just why is this being done? It seems a lot of money to address the “genetic isolation” of the animals.
Is this area of the 101 especially susceptible to animal/car crashes?
Are dozens of animals killed here?
Are drivers chronically threatened by roaming wildlife?
Pretty much no, no and no.
Here is what ChatGPT dug up on the rationale for the $92 million project:
Within a two-mile radius of the Liberty Canyon overpass site, there have been zero human motorist fatalities and fewer than 10 confirmed, officially reported large wildlife collisions over the last two decades. [1, 2]
When focusing strictly on the immediate stretch of Highway 101 surrounding the crossing in Agoura Hills, the documented numbers include:
- Proven Mountain Lion Deaths: 2 mountain lions have been confirmed hit and killed by vehicles within a mile of this exact exit. One adult male was killed near the Liberty Canyon exit in October 2013, and another uncollared mountain lion was found dead on the shoulder a half-mile east of the site in June 2024. [1, 2, 3]
- Other Confirmed Large Wildlife Crashes: According to localized California Highway Patrol (CHP) dispatch logs, only a handful of large-animal vehicle incidents (such as deer or coyotes) are formally registered on this specific stretch. A much wider 26-mile regional segment of the 101 Freeway running across the western Valley logged a total of 13 verified wildlife-vehicle collisions in an entire multi-year tracking study by the UC Davis Road Ecology Center. [1, 2]
Why the Local Accident Count is So Low
This specific stretch of the freeway is not a high-volume “roadkill hotspot” for accidents. The reason there are so few confirmed crashes here is that the 10 lanes of traffic act as an almost complete physical barrier. [1, 2]
Animals are highly sensitive to the intense noise, bright headlights, and constant vibration of 300,000 cars a day. Instead of trying to cross and causing accidents, large animals like deer and mountain lions approach the freeway, get spooked, and turn back. [1, 2]
Why Spend $100M+ Here?
The primary goal of building the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing at this specific location is not to fix a dangerous driver safety crisis or a high-accident zone. It was funded almost entirely by private donations and environmental grants because the lack of crossings is causing genetic isolation. Because the animals turn back, they are trapped in a tiny “island habitat” in the Santa Monica Mountains, resulting in severe inbreeding that scientists predict would wipe out the local mountain lion population entirely within a few generations. [1, 2, 3]
And it remains to be seem if this project is completed on time.
