Highway 17 wildlife tunnel designs to begin

It’s been years in the making, a wildlife tunnel at busy highway 17 that connects Santa Cruz to Silicon Valley. That tunnel is now a step closer step closer to reality.

On Monday the land trust of Santa Cruz county acquired the final piece of land needed to connect the tunnel to both sides of the highway. With this new development they say the work on the tunnel can begin.

“This is the first time where we can say we see the light at the end of the wildlife tunnel.” said Stephen Slade executive director with Land Trust of Santa Cruz.

The last key piece of land now locked up, is just west of the highway, under 200 acres. That means design plans for the tunnel can now be made.

Land trust says Laurel curve at Highway 17 is a spot where mountain lions and other wildlife try to cross. With the tunnel in place though they’re hoping to prevent collision. A win-win for both drivers and the animals.

Getting the land near one of the busiest parts of the highway has been a project Land Trust has worked towards for years.

Land Trust says the land belonged to a San Jose mission that approached Land Trust to acquire the property.

“They didn’t want to have to sell it so they approached us 8 years ago and we really weren’t able to figure out how to do it until the tunnel connection came and made it a much more fundable project.” Slade said.

Slade and the other partners involved in the project are encouraged by how quickly things are progressing.

“The idea first came up and it was like ‘yeah maybe someday’ and now we find out ‘no, now'”!

The tunnel’s design is expected begin this year. Construction on it is slated to start in 2020.