Transportation Secretary Criticizes California’s Wildlife Crossing Project
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom regarding the state’s costly wildlife crossing bridge, which has seen budgets overshoot by $21 million.
Duffy referenced a post from End Wokeness on X, sharing a video that highlights the incomplete bridge designed to help cougars and other wildlife cross the busy 101 Freeway in Southern California.
“Bridges to nowhere. Trains to nowhere. Leave the buildings to us @GavinNewsom,” Duffy expressed on X.
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Refuge (WAWC) is expected to finish construction by 2025, but costs have risen from an initial $92 million estimate to $114 million. A press release from the governor’s office mentioned that completion is now anticipated by fall 2026.
At the groundbreaking ceremony in April 2022, Newsom had committed $54 million in state funds for the project, followed by an additional $10 million. In February, an announcement from the California Transportation Commission revealed a further allocation of $18.8 million to complete the construction.
The Annenberg Foundation, which the bridge is named after, contributed $25 million for the project in 2021. Beth Pratt, director of the National Wildlife Federation and part of the project leadership, stated in a video that rising costs were behind the construction delays.
Pratt noted in a statement that “significantly increased costs” related to tariffs, inflation, and other factors had caused these delays.
Pratt remarked that such increases are in line with trends observed in other construction projects, citing the FHWA National Highway Construction Cost Index, which indicates a 67% rise in highway construction costs since 2021. She mentioned that the project team undertook redesign efforts funded by private donations to mitigate costs.
The governor’s press team countered criticism over the increased project costs, attributing them to tariffs imposed during the Trump administration. They argued that while costs surged, they remain below the average national increase.
Additionally, Newsom’s communication team pointed out that bad weather had also contributed to the delays, emphasizing that the schedule was only revised by a year.
As discussions about the wildlife crossing bridge continue, scrutiny grows regarding California’s other ambitious, yet stalled, projects. Last year, the Department of Transportation canceled $4 billion in federal funding after the state had invested $15 billion in high-speed rail projects without laying down any tracks.
As Newsom is viewed as a potential presidential hopeful for 2028, he is also facing a projected $2.9 billion budget deficit for the upcoming fiscal year.
