Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/629604
Celebrating our 32nd year of publication • Be sure to visit us online at www.worldfencenews.com FEBRUARY 2016 Crown Fence Company of Santa Fe Springs, Calif. (southeast of Los Ange- les) recently completed an extensive highway fence project in Orange County designed to allow wildlife to safely traverse busy State Route 241 without actu- ally venturing onto the roadway. Sounds simple, right? Not exactly! The fence helps keep wildlife such as bobcats, pumas, coyotes and deer off the highway for their own safety, as well as for the safety of motorists who risk colliding with them. The fence stretches along both sides of a 6-1/2 mile section of SR 241, whose northern half is part of the Eastern Transportation Corridor while its southern half is part of the Foothill Transportation Corridor. The tollway runs from Rancho Santa Margarita to Anaheim. The fence has a height of 10-12 feet, depending on the terrain. The 9 ga. 2 inch mesh is trenched two feet into the ground to prevent animals from dig- ging under it. It is topped with three strands of barbed wire angled away from the roadway to prevent animals from climbing the fence. For a more natural and non-invasive appearance, the fabric and framework received a special coating by Natina Products to give it a nice rustic brown patina. The barrier is designed to do much more than simply keep wild animals, many of them protected species, off the road. Here are some of its functions: • Exclude animals from the roadway via proper location, height and conti- nuity. • Funnel animals to bridge and culvert undercrossing structures that are safe for their passage. • Minimize the amount of attraction of wildlife to areas adjacent to the roadway. • Utilize fence placement (high visibility to maintenance crews) to ensure Keeping cars and animals safely separated Crown Fence Company constructs massive highway fence to protect motorists and wildlife Wildlife fence along State Route 241 in Southern California continued on page 14