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This model was inspired by the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. The actual wildlife crossing is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. Once complete, it will be the largest wildlife crossing in the world, spanning 210 feet across 10 lanes of the 101 freeway. The crossing is located in Agoura Hills, California, just northwest of Los Angeles. The goal of the crossing is to help mountain lions and other wildlife move more safely through the area and restore acres of valuable habitat for a number of species.
This model shows how all parts of the crossing project – soil, water, infrastructure, and plant life – combine to connect the landscape from one side of the freeway to the other.
Key features of this build include:
- 2,364 parts, several wildlife figures and a handful of vehicles along the freeway.
- Sound walls on either side of the bridge are built up to help block noise and light from the vehicles below, keeping the mountain lion’s habitat as quiet and undisturbed as possible.
- Soil profiles native to this region of California, showing both a geologic section of the region as well as the newly incorporated design soils. If you look closely, you can see these soil profiles in the Lego layers underground.
- Native plant communities across the entire project, with soils and plants sourced locally. The color palette of the Lego vegetation represents actual species found in the Santa Monica Mountains!
- Hilly topography sloping down over the adjacent roadways to the south and up into the mountains to the north. Bricks and plates were used to create the steep slopes on either side of the crossing.
- Carefully placed vegetation, moving water, and clusters of stone outcroppings help guide wildlife to the crossing and provide shelter from predators for safe movement through the Santa Monica Mountains.
There are a number of animal species included in the Lego build, and eventually the crossing will become home to mountain lions, mule deer, desert cottontails, gopher snakes and many others. Animals are expected to use this crossing to move from one patch of habitat to another. This Lego project, while serving as a representation of a major conservation project, is envisioned as an educational resource for youth and adults alike. Not only is this project a testament to the joint efforts of landscape architects, engineers, biologists, scientists, and more, it reaches beyond standard engineering and construction to feature geologic sections and representations of ecology and horticulture through a Lego lens.
A special thanks to Martin Egemo @Egemo37 for his assistance and collaboration with this build! This work is a collaboration and has been shared with his enthusiastic support and permission.
Help your fellow builder by leaving your feedback based on these three criteria:
- Originality: How original is this - never seen before?
- Building Techniques: How much skill do you think the creator of this MOC has, in terms of building technique?
- Details: Express how much you like the details of the build.
Your feedback is only shown to the creator as well as yourself. It is not available for other users to see. The creator won't see your user name.