America built the world's largest bridge for animals

The 64m long bridge spanning an eight-lane highway in Los Angeles County will be completed in 2025.

The ambitious project in California aims to solve the problem of animal-human conflict , where each year there are more than one million collisions between wild animals and vehicles across the United States, leading to 200 deaths and 26,000 injuries. for drivers and passengers. Authorities are building the world's largest overpass for wildlife across Highway 101 in Los Angeles County, Smithsonian reported on April 24.

Simulation of an animal overpass viewed from above. (Photo: Rock Design Associates).

When the project is completed in 2025, the man-made bridge will provide safe passage for mountain lions, bobcats, deer, lizards, coyotes, snakes and ants to move between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills in the Santa Susana range. Named Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, the project cost $92 million, coming from a partnership between multiple entities including Caltrans, the National Park Service and the National Wildlife Federation.

The project broke ground on Earth Day two years ago. Last week, the project reached an important milestone when the first bridge section was placed in place above the highway. In the coming months, construction teams will install more concrete beams, each weighing 126 - 140 tons. The 64 m long overpass will span 8 lanes of traffic. Ultimately, the structure will be filled with vegetation, including more than a million native plants, to attract wildlife. The construction team will also plant trees on nearly 5 hectares on both sides of the overpass to create the feeling of going over a hill rather than a bridge.

While the bridge will bring many benefits to animals, experts especially hope the project will improve the lives of mountain lions. In the wild, they often roam in territories spanning nearly ^260km2 . But due to the many freeways in Los Angeles, they have difficulty moving freely. As a result, mountain lions in some areas are inbreeding, making them more susceptible to health problems. This big cat could disappear from the region if genetic diversity does not improve.

In recent years, the story of a famous mountain lion named P-22 has especially attracted attention. Launched in 2010, the P-22 must travel through at least two busy highways to reach its residence in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. It spent more than a decade wandering around the small, isolated territory with no hope of finding a mate. In December 2022, authorities had to euthanize P-22 after it attacked two domestic dogs. Later autopsy results revealed that he had many injuries from being hit by a car, a fractured skull, kidney disease, arthritis and many other chronic diseases. Its story has inspired many individuals and organizations to contribute to the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing project.