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8 - Roads and Regional Development

Mitigation Measures for Nature

New or extended roads will always have an impact on the surrounding environment e.g. fragmentation of nature areas. In order to prevent or decrease these impacts, mitigation measures are developed. The range of mitigation measures are broad and new alternatives and effectiveness studies are frequently published.

The chosen mitigation measure for a road depends on planning culture, available technology, economy, wishes from the financier and environmental restrictions. The result is not always successful but through site visits in different European countries the knowledge and experience in the field have been exchanged and the insight in the different mitigation measures and its application deepened.

Important to consider in the choice of mitigation measure are:

If the measure is suitable for the specific case and place. Even though a mitigation measure has been successful in one case it is always necessary to look at local circumstances. For example an ecoduct should be places where animals normally cross the road, otherwise the risk of them not using it is large.
If the mitigation measure is necessary. In some cases, such as fragmentation of nature, it might be more useful for the fauna if the effort was spent on upgrading the nature on one side of the road instead of on a passage. The presence of threatened or sensitive species should receive extra attention when affected.
Cost versus benefits when choosing type of mitigation measure. The most expensive and newest type of mitigation measure might not be the most efficient.