Freeway crossing to give wildlife room to roam

Hoping to fend off the extinction of mountain lions and other species that require room to roam, transportation officials and conservationists will build a mostly privately funded wildlife crossing over a major Southern California highway.

It will give big cats, coyotes, deer, lizards, snakes and other creatures a safe route to open space and better access to food and potential mates.

The span along U.S. 101 will be only the second animal overpass in a state where tunnels are more common. Officials say it will be the first of its kind near a major metropolis and the largest in the world, stretching above 10 lanes of busy highway and a feeder road just 35 miles northwest of downtown LA.

The $87 million bridge last month entered its final design phase. It's on track for groundbreaking within two years and completion by 2023.