Ecological Bridge

ECOLOGICAL BRIDGE

Sarıkamış Forest is home to flagship wild mammals such as  brown bear, wolf, lynx, badger, fox, etc.

The highways and train tracks passing through the forest are used by these animals for crossing through their habitat. This situation poses a threat to the life of wild animals, as well as  to the safety of people due to the risk of traffic accidents.

One of the measures to be taken to prevent traffic accidents involving wild animals is ecological bridges.

In 2016, KuzeyDoğa Association made a recommendation to the General Directorate of Highways for the first ecological bridge to be built in Sarıkamış Forest. The location of the bridge to be built on the Sarıkamış-Erzurum. This  highway is chosen since it is the most frequently used route by brown bears to cross the road. Brown bears’ route was identified by our association via satellite transmitter, and shared with the general directorate. In this respect, it is the first of a kind in Turkey.

The bridge, which was included in the 2020 investment program. It is planned to be 100 m wide. The upper part of the bridge will be covered with the vegetation of Sarıkamış Forest.