Galway Bay fm newsroom - A novel 'bat bridge' on the new Gort to Tuam motorway is nearing completion.
The overbridge is located at Coole Green, a short distance north of the tie-in to the existing M18 at Gort.
It's one of a number of measures being implemented as part of the major project to protect local wildlife.
The Bat Bridge is a 'green' bridge which incorporates specific landscaping features along with its shaped profile that will maintain a flight corridor for bats as they commute from their roosts to their feeding grounds.
The immediate area is populated with a colony of lesser horseshoe bats.
Bats are protected species under habitat directives and protection measures such as the green bridge were all considered at the planning stage of the scheme.
The major motorway project also features a variety of other wildlife protection measures including mammal underpasses, mammal shelves and specialist fencing.
The Direct Route consortium says the new motorway and the Tuam bypass are on track to open later this year.
There are over 550 people currently working on the project, and over 3.2 million working hours have been clocked up to date.
