When many people think about road safety, they think about traffic, road conditions or vehicle maintenance. Along a 12-mile segment of the 241 Toll Road lies a critical safety feature that keeps both drivers and wildlife safe. As you drive, wildlife protection fencing stretches along the roadway, specifically designed to help keep animals off the roadway while preserving their ability to move through Orange County’s natural landscape.
About the Fence
The wildlife protection fence along the 241 Toll Road is an 8- to 12-foot-high woven chain-link fence designed specifically for the wildlife that navigates the natural corridors that run parallel to the roadways. It was designed in 2016 by the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA), operators of The Toll Roads, in partnership with the University of California, Davis, Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Orange County is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including mountain lions, bobcats, mule deer and coyotes. So, what happens if wildlife find themself on The Toll Roads?
The fencing guides animals to existing wildlife bridge and culvert undercrossings that allow protected passage to open spaces on either side of the road. It is also equipped with periodic jump-out ramps to provide animals with access back into open space should they inadvertently end up on the roadside of the fence. By redirecting wildlife movement to safe undercrossings, the fencing reduces wildlife-vehicle collisions.
Future Fencing Projects
Building on the demonstrated success of the existing fencing, the TCA Boards of Directors approved implementation of wildlife fencing along the 241 Loma Segment—11.5 miles on the 241 Toll Road between the 261 and 133 Toll Roads—as part of a systemwide strategy. The Loma Segment has advanced from the study phase into TCA’s Capital Improvement Program and is currently scheduled to begin engineering design and environmental clearance in Fiscal Year 2027.
Completion of the Loma Segment will extend the wildlife protection fencing system along the 241 Toll Road, improving the effectiveness of existing crossings, enhancing habitat connectivity and further reducing wildlife-vehicle conflicts.
Environmental Commitment
For more than 30 years TCA has been a leader and innovator not only in improving mobility in Orange County, but also in preserving and restoring open space for generations to come. Our nationally recognized, award-winning environmental programs have, among many accomplishments, protected the natural resources of more than 2,100 acres of habitat and open space; created the first successful native habitat on a closed landfill; transformed a narrow concrete drainage ditch into a thriving wetland; and built a state-of-the-art, wildlife protection fence that keeps wildlife and drivers separate and safe. To learn more about our environmental commitment, please visit TheTollRoads.com.
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