A R1.3-billion bridge, which will act as a wildlife corridor over a 10-lane highway to the north-west of Los Angeles, has entered its final stage of design and is expected to open in 2023.
The bridge will connect different sections of Santa Monica’s chain of mountains, which is critical for the survival of mountain lions (also known as puma or cougars) in the area. According to Beth Pratt of the National Wildlife Federation, GPS tracking shows that mountain lions have been isolated into pockets, separated by highways and other man-made structures. Limiting the ability of the cats to interact with varied gene pools and hampering the genetic diversity.
A wildlife corridor over a 10-lane highway outside Los Angeles is in the final stage of design. Image credit: RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains, Clark Stevens (architect), Raymond Garcia (illustrator). Puma photo credit: Pixabay
‘This is an animal that is particularly beloved in California,’ Pratt told the Gaurdian. The state is the only one in the US where it is illegal to hunt mountain lions for sport. ‘We want these animals on the landscape, and the population will go extinct if we don’t do something soon.’
The corridor, the largest in the world, will not only be beneficial to mountain lions but also help other species. ‘This ecosystem needs to be reconnected for all wildlife,’ said Pratt to the Gaurdian.
The bridge will extend 50m over a 10-lane highway that carries roughly 300,000 cars daily. In order to camouflage the bridge, it will be surrounded by trees and other vegetation so that animals crossing the highway ‘won’t realize they are on a bridge at all’. Pratt mentioned that a tunnel had been considered but besides being more costly than a bridge, research indicates that some animals will go through tunnels but others won’t.
‘We’re doing this in LA, a city of 4 million people,’ said Pratt . ‘If LA can do it, it can work anywhere. Even in a giant city, we’ll make a home for a mountain lion.’
