No One in Agoura Hills Will Walk the Wildlife Crossing. Here's How You'll Still Watch It Open.
October 22, 2026
October 22, 2026
On Oct. 8, reporters met at a trailhead off Agoura Road just west of Liberty Canyon for a final construction update on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. Beth Pratt, the National Wildlife Federation's regional executive director for California, was asked which animal would cross first. According to The Acorn, she said the odds favored coyotes, because they had been coming up to the construction site every day.
Coyotes can walk onto the bridge, but people can't, and that was a decision made locally. When the project asked for public input, the community strongly favored a design that gave wildlife every chance at safe passage. The project's official FAQ says the outcome was "no trails or public access" on the crossing. So for people who live nearby, the crossing doesn't arrive on Dec. 2 as a place to visit. It shows up as the road you drive, the trails you hike and an opening ceremony you'll watch on a screen.
The Acorn's Oct. 16 report says the structures are finished. That includes the bridge over the 10 lanes of the 101 and the smaller span over Agoura Road. The utility relocations are also done: electrical lines now run underground and a major water line has been rerouted.
The work left is mostly earth and plants. Crews are building large mounds along both sides of the crossing. The mounds will rise above the level of the freeway so animals on the bridge are shielded from the sight and noise of traffic. Pratt told the paper that the native plants already growing over the 101 are "flourishing." They are drawing hummingbirds, native bees, butterflies, western fence lizards and raptors. Much of the habitat restoration on the 13 acres around the crossing will continue after it opens.
Weather is the main risk to the date. Construction started in 2022. Record flooding in 2022 and 2023 disrupted soil compaction, and soil compaction is exactly the kind of work still left to do. The current forecast calls for a potentially historic El Niño running into early 2027. Pratt said experts expect the heavier rain to fall after the planned opening. She also said the list of things that could stop the crossing from opening "for animal business" on time had shrunk to "asteroid, earthquake or El Niño." The budget has also changed since the project began. The Acorn puts the cost at $114 million, 23% above the original construction estimate of $92.6 million.
Because the work is now mostly earth-moving, Agoura Road is where neighbors feel it most. Caltrans has an extended full closure of Agoura Road between Rondell Street and Hydepark Drive. It is scheduled weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and began Sept. 16. While it is in effect, no one may pass through during work hours, including drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
There's a break in the middle of that schedule, and this week falls inside it.
| Period | Agoura Road, Rondell St. to Hydepark Dr. | Liberty Canyon Road ramps |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 16 to Oct. 14 | Closed weekdays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. | May close periodically, never at the same time as the road |
| Oct. 15 to Oct. 30 | Weekday closures canceled; road stays open | Northbound on-ramp and southbound off-ramp close instead |
| Early November to Nov. 30 | Weekday closures scheduled to resume, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. | May close periodically, never at the same time as the road |
The City of Agoura Hills notice explains that the road is staying open from Oct. 15 to Oct. 30 because the Liberty Canyon Road ramps are closed during that window. It also says no two consecutive northbound or southbound ramps will close at the same time. Whenever the road is closed, the posted detour sends drivers onto the 101 between Chesebro Road and Liberty Canyon Road. Weekend work can happen too, and any weekend road or ramp closures are announced in advance. Every closure is weather permitting and subject to change, so check Caltrans QuickMap or the city's news page on the morning you drive.
On days the road is closed, a free shuttle carries pedestrians and cyclists around the work zone. It runs every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bus stops inside the closure area are temporarily moved while the road is closed.
Since the crossing has no public access, the best way to see it is from the open space around it. The FAQ says the crossing will be visible from nearby recreation trails and that a viewing platform will be built for better views. Here is how the trailheads near the bridge currently work.
The Agoura Road trailhead, just west of Liberty Canyon. This is where the Oct. 8 briefing took place, right next to the crossing. The road calendar affects it directly. The project FAQ says the south-side trailhead parking on Agoura Road can't be reached while the road is closed. It also says the north-side trailhead usually stays open but may close for construction safety. Until Oct. 30, with Agoura Road open on weekdays, the parking is easier to reach than it will be in November.
Liberty Canyon Fire Road. Los Angeles County's trail listing describes it as a 1.7-mile route starting at the south end of Liberty Canyon Road. It connects into the park and offers canyon views. Parking at the trailhead is limited.
Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyon. The National Park Service lists this site at 5792 Chesebro Road. It has a free parking lot open from 8 a.m. to sunset, with trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Dogs are allowed on a leash, under control and on the trail. The crossing project's own guidance also asks people to keep pets leashed on nearby trails. In the third week of October, the Park Service also closed parks across the Santa Monica Mountains for red-flag fire weather. Check the NPS conditions page before a fall hike.
The free docent tours from the National Wildlife Federation have been the guided option. They require a reservation and show the work in progress from a distance. The tour page says tours are on a short break while the schedule is updated.
The public celebration isn't at the crossing. The ribbon-cutting itself happens at the bridge, while the public "Ribbon-Cutting & P-22 Legacy Celebration" runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at King Gillette Ranch, 26800 Mulholland Hwy in Calabasas. Guests there watch the ceremony live on a large screen and can cut their own ribbon at a virtual display. The Acorn reported in August that the ceremony at the crossing would follow the gathering at the ranch and would be broadcast live.
Before you go, know that:
For the scientists, opening day is when the work begins. Seth Riley, a National Park Service wildlife ecologist, told The Acorn that researchers are putting radio collars on deer north and south of the freeway to track how they move. They may also use biological sensors on deer and possibly mountain lions to record heart rate, temperature and activity. The aim is to see how animals are physically affected when they use the crossing and spend time near the freeway. The Acorn also reported a partnership between the National Wildlife Federation and the Wildlife Crossing Fund to pay for research, restoration and maintenance after construction.
The location was chosen because it was the only site in the region with continuous protected habitat on both sides of the 101. That habitat exists because the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy began buying land on both sides in the late 1990s. Rorie Skei, the conservancy's chief deputy director, told The Acorn that the agency "just wanted to protect the land on both sides of the freeway" so animals would have a way across one day. The crossing connects the Simi Hills to the north with the Santa Monica Mountains to the south. For the area's threatened mountain lions, the goal is more genetic diversity through breeding between groups that are now isolated. Coyotes are still the likely first animals across, and the construction crews have been seeing them every day.
Living near Liberty Canyon these days means planning around road closures and trailhead parking. If you'd like to talk through what this corner of Agoura Hills is like day to day, from the morning commute to a weekend hike, Alyssa Kirksey is glad to share what we know. Let's Connect.
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