Eroğlu said the crossings, or “green bridges,” will allow wildlife to safely pass over busy roads and be built when roads are constructed.
In a statement to the Anatolia news agency, Eroğlu noted that the many highways and roads crisscrossing Turkey often cut straight through areas where there is a heavy presence of wildlife. He said “green bridges” built across these roads would help prevent wildlife areas from being unnecessarily divided up, and that they would allow for the safe crossing of animals over the roads. Eroğlu said the “green bridges” were to be built from cement, but that the tops of the bridges would be covered in earth and grass.
Noting the rich biodiversity of Turkey, Eroğlu said there are 11,000 species of flora, 132 different types of mammals, 457 kinds of birds, 106 different kinds of reptiles and 345 marine species in Turkey.
“While we have allowed the General Directorate of Highways to use forested lands to build new roads, we have also requested that special green bridges over which wildlife can safely pass be built over these roads. We will not allow for the building of roads which pass through wildlife areas without these special bridges. The first green bridge has already been constructed over the Ankara-Adana highway. And I have given orders that others like it be built over other highways.
“Some animals may need to cross these highways in search of food and water. Animals live in large areas, not like humans, who may live within a home of 100 square meters. For example, a bear can have a living area of up to 15 kilometers in which he travels and sleeps,” Eroğlu said.
The private company that won the bid to build a new highway between İzmit and İzmir will also build green bridges over it, with officials from the company having consulted with authorities from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry to learn more about how to build the bridges.
