Wildlife bridge to alter Agoura Hills commute
- Construction of a wildlife crossing will change traffic patterns on routes into Agoura Hills beginning this spring. - Caltrans project will include a vegetated overpass and nighttime lane shifts, affecting commuters on the 101 corridor. - Drivers should expect weekend closures and detours; environmental groups praise the wildlife benefits (patch.com).
Agoura Hills drivers are starting the week with a new choke point: a stretch of Agoura Road closed for wildlife-bridge construction through July 1. (dot.ca.gov) Caltrans said the full closure runs from Monday, April 20, to Wednesday, July 1, 2026, between Rondell Street and Hydepark Drive. On weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., no through traffic of any kind — including cars, bikes, or pedestrians — is allowed inside the closure zone. (dot.ca.gov) The detour sends motorists onto U.S. 101 between Chesebro Road and Liberty Canyon Road, and Caltrans said shuttle vans for pedestrians and cyclists will run every 30 minutes during closure hours. Bus stops inside the work area are being temporarily relocated. (dot.ca.gov) The road work is part of Stage 2 of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which extends the project beyond the freeway itself and over Agoura Road. Caltrans said crews are building abutment walls, moving utilities, reshaping the site, and restoring habitat next to the 101 corridor. (dot.ca.gov 1) (dot.ca.gov 2) The bridge is designed as a vegetated overpass, not a road for cars. Caltrans says U.S. 101 split habitat between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, cutting off movement for mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, gray foxes, and mule deer. (dot.ca.gov) Caltrans says the crossing is meant to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and help animals move between ranges to breed and hunt. The agency has pointed to mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains as a special concern because isolation has led to inbreeding and low genetic diversity. (dot.ca.gov) The structure over U.S. 101 is about 210 feet long and about 174 feet wide, according to Caltrans. Stage 1 started in mid-2022 and was completed in June 2025; Stage 2 began in 2025 and is scheduled for completion in 2026, though Caltrans says dates can change with weather or operations. (dot.ca.gov) State officials have described it as the nation’s largest wildlife crossing of its type, and Caltrans said in June 2025 that the final phase should finish by fall 2026. That phase includes the Agoura Road connection, natural drainage work, and protection for heritage oak trees near the site. (dot.ca.gov 1) (dot.ca.gov 2) Commuters on the 101 corridor have already seen related traffic changes around Liberty Canyon. The City of Agoura Hills said ongoing construction can include nighttime ramp and lane closures, including closures of the southbound 101 Liberty Canyon off-ramp and the northbound 101 Liberty Canyon on-ramp after 7 p.m., with one to three lanes closing overnight while at least one lane stays open in each direction. (agourahillscity.gov) A separate Caltrans notice last year closed the northbound 101 on-ramp at Liberty Canyon Road for two months so crews could place rock and landscaping materials on the crossing. For now, the daily Agoura Road closure is the clearest sign that a project sold as habitat repair is also reshaping the commute into Agoura Hills block by block. (dot.ca.gov)
