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Madrid will build an ecoduct over the M-607 for safe wildlife crossings
Mobility in northern Madrid will change with the construction of an ecoduct over the M-607, allowing wildlife to cross the road safely. Linked to the widening for a third lane, the infrastructure aims to reduce vehicle strikes and reconnect two natural areas between Tres Cantos and Colmenar Viejo.
The new overpass will be fully naturalised and reserved for animals such as wild boar, roe deer, and fallow deer. Measuring 137 metres long and 56 metres wide, it will be built over the road and service lanes, covered with two metres of topsoil where holm oaks, broom, and Mediterranean scrub will grow.
The aim is to recreate a continuous environment that animals recognise as part of their habitat. To achieve this, the design includes plant screens to reduce noise and light from traffic, as well as fencing to guide wildlife towards the crossing and prevent them from accessing the road.
This initiative addresses a growing problem in the area: habitat fragmentation and an increase in animal collisions on a road with heavy traffic and ecological value. The ecoduct will serve as a safe corridor to channel the natural movements of species.
These kinds of solutions, common in European countries, are also starting to take hold in Spain as part of a new approach to infrastructure, where mobility and biodiversity must coexist.
The M-607, a key link between the city and its natural surroundings, thus becomes an example of how to adapt roads to a landscape increasingly shared by humans and wildlife, setting the path towards a more balanced urban model.