Connect Roads

Bio-diversity - Badger protection

Despite the provision of culverts, underpasses and bridges to enable wildlife to cross the motorway safely, monitoring of junction 47 has shown a continued high incidence of road kills of wildlife in this area. This has an impact not only on the bio-diversity of the area but can also potentially put road users at risk. In order to address this, Connect Roads has undertaken further preventative works.

Connect Roads, working with its landscape consultants RPS and funded by a Highways Agency bio-diversity grant, developed a scheme to install an extra one kilometre of badger netting. Erected at the motorway boundary fence on both sides of the road, the netting will deter badgers and other animals from crossing, directing them instead towards the safer methods of crossing already installed on the network.

Recently completed, this scheme will see continued monitoring of the number of animal road kills in this section of the motorway. Connect Roads is also working in conjunction with a local badger watch group to ensure that the identified bio-diversity gains are realised.