Today in the name of development, our God’s greatest gift, nature is being destroyed. It not just has affected human life but also has costed the life of the innocent animals. We have seen many animals dying while crossing the road, and to stop this singapore has found one amazing solution and that is Eco-bridge.
The Eco-Link@BKE is an ecological bridge in Singapore which connects the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve with the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. The Eco-Link is 75 metres long and crosses over the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE). The bridge is shaped like an hourglass and at its narrowest point is 50 metres wide. Opened in 2012, the Eco-Link is the first such ecological bridge in the Asia-Pacific. The Eco-Link@BKE is intended to aid in wildlife conservation efforts in Singapore.
Until the Bukit Timah Expressway was built in 1986, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and Central Catchment Nature Reserve were connected. The Bukit Timah Expressway severed the connection, leading to a number of negative impacts to the wildlife living in those reserves. Animals who tried to cross the expressway to get from one reserve to the other risked being killed by oncoming cars that often could not stop on time.
Eco-Link@BKE was intended to address the problem of animal death by creating a safe crossing between the reserves, and allowing expansion of the animals’ habitats and gene pools.
Plans for an Eco-Link began in 1994, and was eventually announced in 2009. Construction began in 2011 and the bridge was completed in 2012.
The bridge is covered with native vegetation including trees and shrubs, which is intended to replicate a native forest ecosystem enticing to the animals. There is a fence on the bridge to prevent certain large animals such as sambar deer and wild boar from crossing into Bukit Timah, which is too small and fragile to sustain them. Camera traps and bat detectors are installed along the bridge to capture photos of animals crossing. Since the Eco-Link was completed, several animals species have been seen using it to cross from one reserve to the other.
With the first Eco-Link deemed a success for Singaporean wildlife, the country has decided to build a second Eco-Link structure, known as the Mandai Wildlife Bridge, over Mandai Lake Road.