Mule deer already using incomplete $20m wildlife bridge in California

A trio of mule deer walking across a wildlife bridge in Siskiyou county, California, on 24 May. Photograph: Road Ecology Center, University of California, Davis

A trio of mule deer have already scuttled across a not-quite-finished $20m wildlife bridge in Siskiyou county, marking a triumph for the California department of transportation (Caltrans).

The bridge with its accompanying fencing over Route 97 in Siskiyou county is the first wildlife crossing constructed over a major highway in California. The project promises to both improve driver safety and reduce mortality for migrating mule deer, elk and other animal species.