Agoura Hills, California – A segment of the US-101 freeway that runs through Agoura Hills is set to be closed overnight for the next few weeks to allow construction crews to work on the “world’s largest wildlife crossing” project.
The California Department of Transportation, known as Caltrans, announced on the night of April 14th that starting from April 15th, all southbound lanes of the 101 freeway from Cheseboro Rd. to Liberty Cyn Rd. will be closed from 11 pm to 4 am, Monday through Friday.
During the closure, workers will be placing more than 80 large beams extending from the median to the shoulder of the highway to lay the foundation for constructing the wildlife overpass. This process is expected to take several weeks to complete.
To minimize traffic congestion, Caltrans has provided alternative routes for drivers. For example, drivers can choose to use the 118 freeway north of the closure area to bypass the Agoura Hills and Calabasas areas.
As construction progresses, the transportation agency plans to close the northbound lanes of the same stretch of highway again in the fall for the next phase of work.
Experts believe that obstacles on the 101 freeway pose a significant threat to wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains region. The solution is to construct a wildlife crossing that traverses the freeway between protected lands to the north and south of the highway.
The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 or early 2026.