Israel Approves Wildlife Overpass Above Major Highway to Aid Gazelles

Israel's National Council for Planning and Construction has approved the construction of an overpass for wildlife, known as an "ecoduct," over Highway 6 near the Ma'achaz interchange and Pura Nature Reserve in the northern Negev. The project, spearheaded by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, aims to provide a safe passage for mountain gazelles and other wild animals across the busy highway. The planned structure will be approximately 50 meters wide and 80 meters long, intended to maintain the continuity of a significant ecological corridor. This corridor links protected natural areas from the southern Judean Hills, through the Lachish region and the Shefela hills, down to the Shikma stream valley. The ecoduct will connect to another approved wildlife crossing over a planned railway line in the same area. According to the Nature and Parks Authority, the crossing is particularly crucial for the endangered mountain gazelle, which rarely uses existing underpasses that are utilized by animals like jackals, foxes, badgers, and porcupines. The authority estimates that Highways 40 and 6, along with the railway, currently isolate the gazelle population in eastern Lachish from the population in the Shikma area. The new overpass is expected to re-establish a vital connection between these populations, which is essential for increasing genetic diversity and ensuring the species' survival.