National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced that the upcoming Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway will feature an animal overpass inside the Mahimandalam Reserve Forest. The overpass will help ensure the safe movement of wild animals and reduce human-wildlife conflict. Here’s all you need to know about this.
Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway To Feature An Animal Overpass
Before we get into details, let us explain what a wildlife overpass is. It is a special bridge built over busy highways to allow animals to cross safely. It also helps reduce human–wildlife conflicts. In this case, the upcoming Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway will feature a similar animal overpass inside the Mahimandalam Reserve Forest.
This forest lies between Vellore and Ranipet. It is home to Indian gaur, panthers, wild boar and deer. Mahimandalam Reserve Forest is a critical wildlife habitat. According to an X post by NHAI, the structure will facilitate safe and uninterrupted animal movement. The overpass will be 90m long, 25m wide, and 5.5m above the carriageway.
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A Manmade Grassland Is In Works
That’s not all. Officials are also developing a manmade grassland with support from the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. It will act as natural camouflage so the overpass blends seamlessly with the surrounding ecosystem. NHAI also wrote: “Wildlife protection is at the core of National Highway development, and building infrastructure in harmony with nature remains central to our vision of sustainable development.”
The Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway is a partially operational 258 km long, four-lane expressway connecting Bengaluru in Karnataka and Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Construction began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone in May 2022.
Also Read: Why 3 Small Gujarat Road Stretches Are Delaying The ₹1.04 Lakh Crore Delhi-Mumbai Expressway?
This is great news! A wildlife overpass on the Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway was definitely needed. This overpass is not just great for wild animals, but also for safer and smoother travel for commuters.
Cover Image Courtesy: @Amarrrrz/ X and Canva Pro/ Dariusz Banaszuk (Representative Image)
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