A long-overlooked structure carrying utilities above a 40,000-vehicle-a-day transport corridor is being retrofitted to enable animals to move safely between fragmented sections of bushland.
The corridor will allow wildlife to travel freely between Royal National Park (home of the famous 2-day Royal Coast Track pictured), Garawarra State Conservation Area and Heathcote National Park just south of Sydney, restoring vital ecological connections.
The M1 Princes Motorway, near the Illawarra–Heathcote corridor, is one of the state’s busiest commuter routes and has long presented an almost insurmountable barrier for animals attempting to move between habitats.
Now, the previously underutilised structure is being transformed into a living corridor, providing a safe passage for wildlife to cross from one side of the landscape to the other.
With support from several government departments, the project is progressing not through new construction, but by adapting and enhancing existing infrastructure to serve an environmental purpose.
Elevated structures and specially installed rope crossings will enable gliders and possums to travel safely above ground, while carefully designed ground cover will provide smaller species with shelter and protection from predators as they navigate the crossing.