4 years, $100 million dollars and here is where we are at with the world’s largest wildlife crossing.
Comparisions taht were much more involved:
Empire State Building: Completed in one year (March 17, 1930, and April 11, 1931)
Pentagon: 16 months (September 11, 1941, and January 15, 1943)
Hoover Dam: 4 years (July 7, 1931, dedicated September 30, 1935)
Panama Canel: Project 50% complete at year 4 (1904-1914)
In 2014, the California Wildlife Conservation Board gave a $650,000 grant to the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains for the design of the crossing.
In February of 2026 Governor Newsom announced that an additional $18 million would be provided by California from general funds in addition to the funds allocated by the California Transportation Commission from the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program. This changes the funding to 40% from private donations and the rest coming from public funds.
Background of the Construction Manager Beth Pratt:
Beth Pratt is the Regional Executive Director, California for the National Wildlife Federation and leads the #SaveLACougars campaign, a major initiative to build the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing—the world’s largest wildlife crossing—over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills, California.
- The project, inspired by the famous mountain lion P-22, aims to reconnect isolated cougar populations, restore genetic diversity, and prevent extinction in Southern California’s urban wildlife.
- Groundbreaking occurred on Earth Day 2022, and the crossing is now under construction with an anticipated completion date in 2025.
- The bridge, designed to accommodate mountain lions, coyotes, deer, and even monarch butterflies, is 210 feet long and 174 feet wide, featuring native vegetation and irrigation systems.
- In 2021, Pratt helped raise $87 million for the project, with additional funding from the Annenberg Foundation and federal infrastructure grants.
- Despite a $21 million budget overrun reported in early 2026—attributed to inflation, tariffs, and labor issues—Pratt maintains the project is essential and not a “boondoggle.”
