Wildlife Crossing Project Will Close Stretch of Northern California Highway for 2 Weeks

A wildlife crossing project in Sonora Junction—nearly two hours north of Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada mountains—will close U.S. Highway 395 for 15 days, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced this week. The closure, part of the Sonora Junction Shoulders Project, will begin Sept. 4 between Bridgeport and State Route 108, officials said in an Aug. 5 statement. Construction began in May. The project will widen the shoulders of the highway to 8 feet. Caltrans has also been working to add retaining walls and slopes with anchored mesh to the wildlife crossing area. Caltrans said the stretch of Highway 395 is a “crossing hotspot” for herds of mule deer. Officials also said there have been 69 reports of wildlife collisions there since 2002....