When we think about roads, we think traffic jams, congestion, potholes and the discomfort of long journeys. But roads are more than this. Roads are the backbone of economic growth, and they connect us with family and friends, leisure pursuits and nature.

To biodiversity, though, they pose an existential threat, causing fragmentation, disrupting migration routes, land loss and the prospect of collisions. While there have been some reviews and reports in the past, historically biodiversity and mitigation have had scarce consideration when building and developing roads. That means it is hard to quantify the true impact that roads have on biodiversity. Even so, they are clearly a contributing factor to nature’s decline.

Along with urbanisation and industrialisation, roads have led to the UK becoming one of the most biodiversity-depleted countries on the planet, putting us in the bottom 10% globally and in the bottom three in Europe. You will have noticed this decline on your commute, with the number of insects hitting windscreens having hugely declined. This has a knock-on effect for amphibians and birds. Small mammals including the hedgehog have also declined.

We are facing a climate and biological emergency, and we have to redress the balance with nature. The UK government has now enshrined a new Environment Bill in law. From November 2023, developments in England will have to demonstrate a 10% biodiversity net gain. This is being led by Natural England. National Highways now has an Environmental Sustainability Division, with the objective of developing a new Environmental Strategy. One of its current initiatives is the “Network for Nature” programme.

To mitigate species decline, we must think of road projects holistically, starting by ensuring that there is a diverse range of habitats within any given design. Think water, food, migration and refuge. That extends from grasslands to forests, from ponds to streams and from boring grey to vibrant green. We must support these habitats and green infrastructure by guaranteeing good soil health and a supply of safe, clean water too. That way we’ll safeguard biodiversity to survive and thrive.

Clever road design can achieve a biodiversity net gain, support the creation of ecological networks, protect infrastructure from flooding and sequester carbon. This can be achieved through sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) and nature-based solutions. What’s more, creating valuable engagement opportunities with nature is good for our mental and physical health. We should aspire to connect communities to the natural world through infrastructure design.  

As a society and an industry then, we already understand the impacts and have the technology and expertise to make a real difference. Let’s start with the way we design, construct and maintain infrastructure.

Terry Wilkinson, Specialist application and design engineer, ACO Technologies

As a specialist application and design engineer at ACO, Terry’s career has been focused on the highways industry, both in his eight years at ACO and prior to this working as a client, consultant and contractor for local authorities. He is a member of CIHT and ICE and is working towards chartered status. His professional interests are focused on wildlife mitigation solutions and highway drainage.

Contact us

If you’re interested in finding out more about ACO’s work on biodiversity, head to www.aco.co.uk/wildlife or contact us via www.aco.co.uk/contact-us

Terry Wilkinson, Specialist Design and Application Engineer, ACO