Modern highway projects are not only about mobility and speed but also about sustainable infrastructure and wildlife protection. One important solution adopted in wildlife corridors is the Elephant Underpass (EUP).
Elephant underpasses allow safe crossing of elephants and other wildlife beneath highways, reducing animal–vehicle collisions and maintaining natural migration routes.
🔹 Typical Design Features of Elephant Underpasses
• Large span arrangement: Often designed with multiple spans (e.g., 4 × 30 m) to create an open and natural passage.
• High vertical clearance: Around 7.5 m to allow comfortable movement of elephants.
• Circular isolated piers: Provided without intermediate openings to minimise the “tunnel effect.”
• Natural ground profile: Gentle slope maintained inside the underpass to replicate natural terrain.
• Opaque sidewalls (~2 m high): Installed along bridge edges and approaches to reduce disturbance and headlight glare from traffic.
• Guiding fencing: Helps direct elephants toward the crossing structure.
• Wildlife monitoring: Camera traps are often installed to study animal movement and the effectiveness of the structure.
These eco-friendly measures follow guidelines from organisations like the Wildlife Institute of India, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the National Highways Authority of India to mitigate the impacts of linear infrastructure on wildlife.
🌱 Why It Matters
Well-designed wildlife crossings not only protect endangered species but also enhance road safety for motorists. With increasing infrastructure development, integrating ecological considerations into engineering design is becoming essential.
Infrastructure and conservation can coexist — smart design makes it possible.