California Wildlife Bridge Opens Dec 2
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- Wildlife bridge will officially open for animal use on 2 December, ending a multi‑year construction effort.
- Project cost rose to $114 million, a 23% increase from $93 million, driven by inflation but still below the average highway construction cost rise.
- Construction schedule shifted from a 2025 completion target to 2026 after two years of record rains and flooding delayed work.
- California Post published an op‑ed calling the $114 million project a “jobs program for environmentalists” and a “multimillion‑dollar bridge to nowhere,” prompting criticism from Fox News and Sean Duffy.
- Beth Pratt received harassment and threats, leading the National Wildlife Federation to hire security and change protocols.
- Native flora and fauna already populate the bridge, including 6,000 native plants, butterflies, a western fence lizard named Bob, a rattlesnake, and mountain lions.
- Future work includes a second structure to bridge a local road, the placement of 3 million cubic feet of soil, berms, wildlife‑proof fencing, and installation of more than 50 monitoring cameras.
Why it matters: The opening gives mountain lions, bobcats and other species a safe corridor across a busy freeway, fulfilling the project’s ecological goal while validating the National Wildlife Federation’s $114 million investment despite right‑wing criticism and security threats to its staff for the region's biodiversity.
