The UK's first heathland bridge is set to open next month, offering wildlife a safe route across a busy motorway. The £3.7 million Cockrow Bridge now stretches over the A3 near Cobham in Surrey, reconnecting two rare heathland habitats that are home to a variety of British wildlife.
Toads, badgers, and snakes are all anticipated to use the new crossing. The 223-foot bridge has been funded by National Highways and will enable pedestrians, cyclists, and animals to traverse the motorway safely. It is the first of its kind in Britain, replacing a pedestrian bridge constructed in the 1980s.
Steve Elderkin, director of environmental sustainability at National Highways, said: "While roads have always connected people and places, they are too often a barrier for nature, severing habitats and contributing to the decline in biodiversity." The bridge has been designed to merge seamlessly with the surrounding natural environment and unite the two habitats on either side of the carriageway.
At a substantial 98 feet wide, there is ample space for all manner of wildlife and pedestrians to roam freely. The National Highways website reads: "We'll plant the bridge with heather and other heathland shrubs. It will provide a safe, natural corridor for local wildlife to spread and increase across the local area. This includes animals like sand lizards, silver studded butterflies, and heath tiger beetles."
While the UK already boasts a number of wildlife bridges, this will be the first of its kind designed specifically for heathland. Existing structures can be found crossing the A556 near Chester, the A30 in Cornwall, and the A21 at Scotney Castle in Kent.
