Federal Autonomous Institution "Main Department of State Expertise" (Glavgosekspertiza of Russia) has reviewed the design and estimate documentation for construction of a facility for animals passage across a busy highway near the village of Seleevo, Vyazemsky District, Smolensk Region. Following the results of the state expert examination, a positive opinion has been issued.
Exits of elks on the roadway were repeatedly recorded on the M-1 Belarus federal highway in Smolensk region, 47% of the territory of which are forests. Usual migration routes of these and other local animals have been studied over the years. As a result, a decision was made to build a wildlife crossings along the road, which will help to preserve the unity of animals habitat and reduce the likelihood of road accidents involving animals.
Earlier, Glavgosexpertiza of Russia approved the design solutions for construction of the wildlife crossing over M-1 Belarus highway on the 184th kilometer - in the area of the village Potapovskoye in Gagarinsky district of Smolensk region. Construction works there are already underway.
This project provides for the construction of another wildlife crossing with approaches - on the 218th kilometer outside Novoselsky rural settlement in Vyazemsky district, where 18 species of animals live, including elk, deer, wild boar and roe deer.
Slope steepness of this section of the road will be increased to locate the crossing and ensure drainage, and the shoulder width will be brought to the standard of 3.75 m. The length of the wildlife crossing will be 39 m, and its width - 31.1 m. Such parameters are conditioned by necessity for roadside ditches under the structure, as well as the further expansion to six-lane road traffic, at the moment there are only four lanes on the road. Noise screens will be installed on the monolithic sides on both sides of the crossing, as well as along 40 m of the road, to reduce the noise from the traffic flow affecting the fauna representatives of the animal world. A transverse control-track strip will be arranged in the central part to fix the movements. Also, trees and shrubs will be planted along the wildlife crossing and approaches thereto.
General Designer - Design Institute "Vladimiravtodorproekt" LLC. The customer is "Russian Highways" State Company.
