In Cornwall, England, something remarkable is taking shape over one of the busiest roads in the region. Construction crews are putting the finishing touches on a 150-foot-long “badger bridge” that will allow wildlife to safely cross the four-lane A30 highway without risking their lives. This isn’t just any bridge, it’s a carefully designed wildlife crossing that will provide safe passage for badgers, voles, birds, insects, and countless other creatures who have been cut off from their natural habitats for decades. The bridge is part of a massive $375 million infrastructure project that prioritizes both human travel and animal welfare.
What makes this project even more special is its thoughtful design, featuring two hedgerows of native plants like hawthorn and elder that will run across the bridge, creating a natural pathway that animals will instinctively want to use. The bridge also includes a footpath for walkers and horse riders, proving that infrastructure can serve multiple purposes beautifully. This is only the third such green bridge built by National Highways and one of just a handful across all of England. With 87,000 trees being planted across the landscape and 33 wildlife crossing points created, this project shows how modern engineering can heal the divisions that roads create in the natural world.