A wildlife bridge being built in Siskiyou County, Calif., to reduce collisions on a crash-prone highway. Photo courtesy Caltrans District 2
A new wildlife crossing in Northern California is already doing the job it was built to do, even before construction is officially finished.
Three deer became the first animals to use the nearly completed wildlife bridge on U.S. 97 in Siskiyou County since the project began in summer 2024, according to information Caltrans District 2 shared with AccuWeather. Since the deer have been spotted in late May, other animals have been seen using the crossing, including a bobcat.
Caltrans called it "a major milestone," adding in a Facebook post that, "while the contractor is still completing final touches, it's incredible to see wildlife already embracing the new structure."
The bridge itself is about 100 feet long and 140 feet wide, with roughly 2 miles of 8-foot-high wildlife exclusion fencing along both sides of the highway to help funnel animals toward the crossing instead of the road.
