A new wildlife bridge is being built in Gloucestershire and is expected to be completed by 2027. The Gloucestershire Way bridge, which will be the UK’s largest wildlife crossing, is part of the A417 Missing Link project. The ambitious National Highways plan aims to build new roads while conserving the Cotswolds‘ nature and wildlife.
The wildlife bridge is a key part of the A417 project, and has an estimated cost of £460million. The wildlife corridor, crossing the new A417 dual carriageway between Gloucester and Cirencester, will be 37 metres long with a 27-metre strip of grassland and a hedgerow. Walkers, cyclists and horse riders will also be able to cross the bridge.
Hedgerows on each side will help bats and barn owls to use the bridge as a commuting corridor, while grassland and other trees will help deer, badgers and reptiles to cross safely.
Gavin Jones, Kier’s project director for the scheme, said: « The green bridge is the centrepiece of the scheme, linking up habitats and the landscape on one side of the road to the other.
« The focus is the ecology, the animals that are going to use it, but not forgetting the people – it’s going to be a footpath as well. We’re on budget, ahead of programme, and [have] a good safety record. I couldn’t be prouder of the team. »
National Highways‘ executive director of major projects, Nicola Bell, said: « Our work goes beyond just operating and maintaining our roads and by collaborating more closely with Natural England, we can ensure that our infrastructure projects deliver better outcomes for both people and nature.”
Natural England’s chief executive, Marian Spain, added: « Projects like the A417 showcase the positive outcomes for people and nature that can be achieved by working closely together.
« This memorandum is an important step in embedding this open, early, constructive communications between Natural England and National Highways to deliver our shared objectives of sustainable development. »
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