The Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is an arboreal mammal in Europe with a declining population in the UK, partially due to habitat fragmentation caused by development of roads and infrastructure. In 2016 Animex helped design and test an arboreal bridge that was proven to be effective for dormice. However, the bridge had to meet technical standards of road agencies so that it could be approved and implemented on “real world” projects. This presentation explores the work we have done to improve the technical design and lifespan of the bridge to ensure it can be widely accepted and implemented by transport authorities.
The outcome of our work has resulted in two specific design types: a standalone bridge and a retrofit design. Several bridges have now been installed on projects across roads and motorways and we will be discussing the development and implementation process from two case studies:
- A 40m retrofit bridge to a culvert on a farm road in Wales.
- Two 76m bridges on an overbridge and underpass across an 8-lane highway
During the presentation we will go into further detail on each project highlighting lessons learned and showcase what has influenced our most recent design and recently published Best Practice Guidance (BPG) that we hope will provide much needed technical and ecological advice to all stakeholders working on connectivity projects including ecologists, engineers and authorities.