What are the coolest civil engineering adaptions for wildlife?

Plant and animal species are dying out faster than ever before. As a result, there is increasing concern about the adverse effects of engineering infrastructure on wildlife. Civil Engineering infrastructure particularly Transportation infrastructure corridors can adversely impact and sever wildlife habitats. Civil engineers and other construction professionals are constantly challenged to make biodiversity conservation and preservation a greater priority than tackling climate change.

Wildlife corridor and crossings aim to allow animals to cross human-made barriers safely. There are several wildlife crossings of various types built around the globe in the last century. Some countries go to great lengths to ensure the safety of their wildlife, some are still catching up and some other counties do barely enough.

Here are my top 5 picks of innovative civil engineering adaptions for wildlife:

1. Crab Bridge In Christmas Island, Australia

The Christmas Island red crab[1] is a species of land crab that is endemic to Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean. Once a year on Christmas Island something incredible happens: nearly 50 millions of crabs make an annual mass migration. They cross the whole island to reach to the sea to lay their eggs in the ocean.

Millions of red crabs on make annual migration trip on Christmas Island

Engineers built a crab bridge to the hazardous section of the road to give the crab safe passage during their annual migration.

2. Ecoduct in Singapore

The [email protected][2] is an ecological bridge that spans the Bukit Timah Expressway, connecting Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Central Catchment Nature Reserve. The first of its kind in Southeast Asia, its main purpose is to restore the ecological connection between two nature reserves, allowing wildlife to expand their habitat, genetic pool and survival chances.