California breaks ground on largest urban wildlife crossing

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Construction has begun on what is billed as the world’s largest wildlife crossing for mountain lions and other animals caught in Southern California’s urban sprawl. Officials held a ceremony Friday to mark the construction of a $90 million bridge over a freeway and feeder road about 35 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The bridge will stretch 200 feet over the U.S. 101 to give big cats, coyotes, deer and other wildlife a safe path to the nearby Santa Monica Mountains. It is expected to be completed by early 2025. Scientists tracking mountain lions fitted with GPS collars found over decades that roadways are largely confining animals, which leads to shrinking genetic diversity.