Green land-bridges

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Jim606
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Green land-bridges

Post by Jim606 »

I think we need a separate thread on green land-bridges. I think the term green land-bridge is slightly blurry due to how such a structure is classified? For example the A505 Weston Hills tunnel at Baldock could be classed as a sort of land bridge raising the question of what is a tunnel and what is a land-bridge? The UK Gov. website says https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gree ... r-wildlife
The bridges are known as green bridges, landscape bridges or wildlife overpasses and are usually planted with a variety of local trees or shrubs and other vegetation. They allow birds, mammals and insects to keep moving despite a road or railway blocking their path.

Green bridges are common in Europe and North America, but only a few have been built in Britain.

The report: “Green Bridges – a literature review” was undertaken by Land Use Consultants on behalf of Natural England. It looks at scientific evidence from 56 examples across the world, ranging from the Mile End green bridge in east London to the Compton Road faunal overpass in Brisbane, Australia.

It is the first worldwide study of green bridges and has found that they could become an important part of the sustainability of future transport projects by:
•creating a safe crossing point for wildlife movement
•joining up habitats and connecting colonies, as they are also used by wildlife as a home in their own right
•creating a crossing point for people and benefit pollinators
•integrating roads and railways into the surrounding landscape
I think the one over the A11 in Mile End, east London was the first to be constructed in the UK? Please see for more details http://www.czwg.com/works/green-bridge
Mile End green bridge from the air.jpg
Mile End green bridge  crossing the A11.jpg
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crowntown100
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by crowntown100 »

I think that we may need to write something up on the Wiki about Green Bridges.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by crowntown100 »

And now we have one --> Green Bridge

Jim, you may want to edit this and add/improve information on the page as you seem quite knowledgeable on the subjuct! :D
Harry

From the SABRE Wiki: Green Bridge :

REDIRECT [[Green

... Read More
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c2R
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by c2R »

Good article. I wish I'd had a digital camera when they were building the one at Mile End - I passed it every day throughout its construction....
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by wrinkly »

I didn't know the Mile End one was the most famous. I'd never heard of it until this week.

Of course, examples of anything have to be more famous when in London.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by crowntown100 »

wrinkly wrote:I didn't know the Mile End one was the most famous. I'd never heard of it until this week.

Of course, examples of anything have to be more famous when in London.
None of them are particually well known. That one just stands out a lot more as it's in the middle of an urban area and it was the first of its kind (in the UK, at least).
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Re: Green land-bridges

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Last edited by WHBM on Fri Feb 17, 2017 18:02, edited 1 time in total.
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Berk
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by Berk »

Weston Hills is not a land bridge - it's a cut'n'cover tunnel.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by Ruperts Trooper »

Berk wrote:Weston Hills is not a land bridge - it's a cut'n'cover tunnel.
How is the difference between cut'n'cover tunnel and bridge defined ?
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by Bryn666 »

A cut and cover tunnel is a long stretch of road that is excavated and then a lid is placed on top, the Weston Hills tunnel is an extreme example as it looks like a bored tunnel from the outside.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by vlad »

If these green bridges are linking two parts of a green area and hiding the road below then they seem more-or-less the same as a possession bridge in a country estate, especially if they're pretty wide and mean you can't see the road at all if you stand in a certain place. Here's an example.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by darkcape »

Anything longer than 110m is a tunnel according to DMRB I believe.

A391 at Carluddon has a fairly green arch bridge.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by Ben302 »

This one on the A21 Lamberhurst bypass built to preserve the access route into Scotney Castle.
This used to be the D3H A2 at Tollgate, but now has been re-landscaped as a green corridor. Until a few years ago this was all grassed over except for the path that ran down the middle (which still has the old A2 surface still extant) then the road to Cyclopark was added later.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by darkcape »

Although not a bridge but the Bell Common tunnel on the M25 has mainly green space above.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by KeithW »

The Hatfield Tunnel must be one of the classic example surely. Originally the plan included a cutting but the local populace especially the cricket club raised such a stink that it was agreed a cut and cover tunnel would be built at considerable expense and the land restored afterwards. However almost before the grass had time to go developers offered the landowners a very large sum of money and a new shopping centre was built instead.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by Median »

Drove under this one on the A299 in Kent earlier today. Definitely cut-and-cover because it's rectangular in section with a very thin crust on top.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by Burns »

There's something very continental looking about that stretch of road.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by Jim606 »

Anything longer than 110m is a tunnel according to DMRB I believe. The A391 at Carluddon has a fairly green arch bridge.
Interesting to know. The recommended width of a green bridge is 25 to 80metres according to current literature; http://www.newground.co.uk/news-events- ... n-bridges/ & yes I think the bridge over the A391 does qualify https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/36233 ... ummary.pdf Compiling all the information so far, I've put together the following list of green land-bridges in the UK?

? Petition to build a green bridge over the A206 in Charlton https://charltonchampion.co.uk/2014/08/ ... wich-road/
2017 A556 Knutsford to Bowden Improvement
2015 A391 Carludden bypass, Cornwall
2011 A354 Ridgeway Green Bridge on the Weymouth Relief Road
2005 A21 Lamberhurst Bypass / Scotney Castle green bridge
1999 A11 Mile End Park, East London
& old A2 Tollgate and London Docklands as mentioned earlier in this thread

Further views of the A556 Green Land Bridge
A556 Green Bridge.jpg
A556 Green Bridge.jpg (7.83 KiB) Viewed 3985 times
The A556 Green Bridge also appears half way through Highways England video
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by wrinkly »

Not very green but the A55 passes under the station forecourt at Colwyn Bay by an 80m cut-and-cover structure built in about 1985:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.29634 ... a=!3m1!1e3

To maintain access to the station it was built in two phases.
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Re: Green land-bridges

Post by vlad »

wrinkly wrote:Not very green but the A55 passes under the station forecourt at Colwyn Bay by an 80m cut-and-cover structure built in about 1985:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.29634 ... a=!3m1!1e3

To maintain access to the station it was built in two phases.
There's something similar in Stirling. There are going to be plenty of accommodation bridges on new(er) roads.
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