Los Angeles, Ca
Construction on wildlife crossing to close portion of 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills
At a community meeting in Agoura Hills Thursday evening about construction on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing Bridge, city leaders and officials from Caltrans wanted to get one message across loud and clear: the 101 Freeway is closing down.
The massive wildlife crossing bridge will connect two natural landscapes that have been bisected by one of the nation’s busiest highways, stretching over 200 feet long and 165 feet wide across the roadway.
Starting Monday, April 15, Caltrans will close all lanes of the southbound 101 Freeway between Chesebro Road and Liberty Canyon Road, with the closures running Monday-Friday from midnight to 5 a.m. for at least several weeks.
A map of the area provided by Caltrans shows that travelers and commuters will be diverted onto side streets in the area during the construction.
“There could be, and we expect there to be, more traffic at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. than there is,” Agoura Hills Public Works Director Jessica Forte said. “Just be more aware if you’re going to be out jogging or biking on Agoura Road.”
The shutdown will allow crews to lift dozens of heavy concrete beams that will form the skeleton of the crossing.
Once that work, which is expected to take about a month, is completed, Caltrans will close northbound lanes overnight in the same section. That phase of construction is expected to begin sometime after fall.
“Honestly, at the beginning, I figured I’d have some noise for two to three years and it’s a fair trade,” Sherry Ferber told KTLA’s Samantha Cortese.
A Liberty Canyon resident for 25 years, Ferber believes the inconvenience of the project is worth it.
“We’re saving an entire species locally,” she said. “It’s the number one cause of death for mountain lions, plus it’s benefitting all species in the Santa Monica Mountains.”
Once completed, the bridge will connect the Santa Susana and Santa Monica mountain ranges and will be the largest wildlife crossing of its kind in the country, providing mountain lions and other animals safe passage between the regions.
Scientists say this will minimize inbreeding among the wildlife population.
“We have the science that the mountain lions, bobcats and the coyotes come right up to the 101 and they go back,” Agoura Hills Mayor Illece Buckley Weber said. “They’re smart enough not to cross, and that’s one of the problems. We need them to cross back and forth between the Santa Monica Mountains.”
Coming in at an estimated $92 million, the crossing is one of the largest infrastructure projects underway in Southern California and is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
Southern California remains under an extreme heat warning as residents brace for the hottest day of the week on Wednesday.
“It will be roasty toasty in the valleys, lower mountain elevations and far interior, with highs ranging from 100 to 110 degrees,” the National Weather Service said. The warmest conditions are expected in the western San Fernando Valley.
An extreme heat warning remains in effect for much of Southern California until 8 p.m. Thursday. Forecasters say there is a high risk of heat-related illness for anyone outdoors for extended periods. Heat advisories are also in place for areas along the coast.
“Highs for today: 98 in Ojai, 100 in Ontario. Temecula, good morning to you, 100 degrees expected there. 112 in Palm Springs. Unbelievably hot,” KTLA’s Kirk Hawkins said Wednesday morning.
Residents are urged to adjust their afternoon plans to limit strenuous outdoor activities during the heat of the day, stay hydrated and check in on elderly neighbors and loved ones.
The Weather Service said record highs are slightly warmer than those forecast for Wednesday. As a result, despite the extremely hot conditions, few, if any, temperature records are expected to be broken.
A few degrees of cooling are expected Thursday, but a more significant cooldown will arrive Friday as onshore winds increase.
Afternoon highs are expected to cool even more over the weekend, with below-average temperatures possible in some areas.
A Chino Hills man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a violent incident at a local liquor store, authorities announced Tuesday.
The July 13 incident occurred around 5 p.m. in the 4000 block of Descanso Avenue, according to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, which responded to reports of a stabbing at the location.
Arriving deputies found a stabbing victim inside the store and rendered medical aid until personnel with the Chino Valley Fire District arrived. The victim was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he remains in stable condition.
While being treated at the scene, investigators said the victim repeatedly stated that someone named Alex was responsible for the attack.
The suspect, now identified as Hayden Alexander Marquez, 30, was located not far from the liquor store and taken into custody, sheriff’s officials said.
Investigators did not provide a motive for the stabbing or detail the relationship between the two men.
Marquez was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of attempted murder.
Anyone with information about the investigation is urged to contact the Chino Hills Police Station at 909-364-2000. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the We-Tip hotline at 800-78-CRIME or submit tips online at www.wetip.com.
An early morning crash involving a big rig scattered cinder blocks across the northbound 101 Freeway, prompting a SigAlert in the San Fernando Valley Tuesday. The incident was reported around 4:10 a.m. when a big rig overturned on the freeway at Tampa Avenue. The crash occurred on a stretch of the northbound 101 that curves […]
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