Overview
- Within days of cost increases being disclosed, the California Transportation Commission approved an additional $18.8 million for the crossing.
- An initial estimate near $92 million and a 2025 finish has slipped, and a 2022 clip of Gov. Gavin Newsom saying the job would be done with “another $10 million” has resurfaced.
- Project leaders and state officials cite inflation, tariffs, labor challenges and severe weather for the overruns, pointing to a 67% jump in national highway construction costs since 2021.
- The Liberty Canyon overpass across US‑101 is intended to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and restore genetic connectivity between the Santa Monica Mountains and habitat to the north.
- Critics decry the ballooning price as wasteful and push for stronger oversight, while backers argue the costs reflect broader construction trends and the project’s complex urban setting.