Berkshire bridge wins biodiversity award
The bridge near Reading is designed to help local wildlife
A new road at Arborfield has won an industry award for an innovative “green” bridge that helps animals move safely through the surrounding countryside.
Observer Way, a 2.3km bypass with an off-road cycleway and paths which opened in November last year, also includes a bridleway crossing with special features to provide a safe route for wildlife living nearby.
It has won the Innovation category of this year's Construction Industry Research and Information Association BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards, which celebrate projects with at least one element that benefits wildlife and habitats.
Surveys showed a nearby hedgerow which had to be removed was on a major flightpath for bats while other species including rabbits, foxes and mice were following a similar route on the ground.
The bridge, which replaces the hedgerow, features tunnels for animals and wide, gentle slopes planted with trees and hedges as well as a wooden fence to guide bats across until the new planting, which links existing woodland plots on either side, is fully grown.
Before work started, ecologists counted the number of bats crossing and recorded their flight paths using three-dimensional computer maps. They will continue doing so until 2026 to ensure the scheme is achieving its goal.
Wokingham Borough Council Councillor Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways, said:
“This award recognises that the council can deliver a net benefit to the area's wildlife while keeping the borough's traffic moving, another of our key objectives.
“The new Observer Way will minimise pressure from traffic increases in and around the new housing at Arborfield Garrison, which will also include schools, shops, community hubs, sports facilities and public open spaces.”