Wildlife are not waiting for the ribbon cutting. Three mule deer have already made their way across a $20 million wildlife crossing spanning Route 97 in Siskiyou County, captured on camera trap images within the last few days, signaling early success for California's first major highway wildlife bridge.
The structure, built by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), sits atop one of the state's busiest wildlife corridors. While final touches remain on surrounding fencing meant to guide animals toward the crossing, the main bridge is fully operational and attracting attention from its intended users.
"In addition to deer, a bobcat and other wildlife have also been spotted using it," Caltrans reported on Facebook, noting the activity came even as construction crews remained on site completing work.
The crossing represents a watershed moment for California wildlife management. For decades, migrating mule deer, elk, and other large animals have been struck by vehicles on major roadways at catastrophic rates. Nearly 50,000 mule deer die annually on California roads, representing roughly 10 percent of the state's total deer population. Mountain lions fare worse proportionally, with close to 100 killed yearly in vehicle collisions. Thousands more animals from other species perish on highways each year.
At this particular site along Route 97, records show 50 deer and 16 elk died in vehicle strikes between 2015 and 2020 alone.
Fraser Shilling, director of the Road Ecology Center at UC Davis, emphasized that the bridge itself tells only part of the story. The fencing system designed to funnel wildlife toward the crossing is equally crucial, he explained. "Wildlife crossings by themselves do not stop roadkill. It's the fencing associated with them that stops roadkill."
A 2024 report co-authored by Shilling described wildlife vehicle collisions as "a damaging and preventable natural disaster," injuring drivers and decimating animal populations across multiple species. The crossing offers a concrete solution to a largely preventable problem.
Shilling called the Route 97 project groundbreaking for California, describing it as "our first over-crossing laboratory in California. It gives us a structure to learn how to make them better."
The initiative comes as momentum builds for wildlife crossing infrastructure across the state. The Wallis Annenberg wildlife crossing in Southern California, scheduled to open by year's end, will claim the title of world's largest wildlife bridge when it opens, spanning all ten lanes of the 101 freeway.
Caltrans funded the Route 97 project with its own resources, a decision Shilling credited as both visionary and rare within large transportation agencies. "They're heroic," he said of the department's willingness to pursue innovation that breaks from standard highway practices.
Author James Rodriguez: "The deer got the message faster than the permit office; sometimes wildlife management actually works when you stop making excuses and build the damn bridge."
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