Deer Found California’s New Wildlife Bridge Before It Officially Opened

Before the last landscaping was finished, the bridge found its first travelers. Three deer crossed a newly built wildlife overpass on U.S. 97 in Northern California in late May 2026 — weeks before construction is scheduled to be complete. A bobcat followed. Caltrans District 2, which built the structure, called the sightings “a major milestone” and said it was “incredible to see wildlife already embracing the new structure” while contractors were still putting on finishing touches.

The crossing sits in Siskiyou County near Grass Lake, a remote stretch of highway in the shadow of Mount Shasta that has long been one of the most hazardous sections of road in the region. The danger is not from difficult terrain; it is from the deer and elk that have been dying there for decades.

A Highway That Has Been Killing Wildlife for Years

The numbers behind this project are stark. Between 2015 and 2020, more than 50 deer and 16 elk were recorded killed in vehicle collisions along the project corridor, the highest wildlife-vehicle conflict rate in the entire Caltrans District 2 region, which covers a large portion of Northern California. Those are the recorded fatalities. Unreported collisions are typically far more frequent.