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'Plastic wood' helps save otters

We’re using ‘Plaswood’ to create otter walkways as part of a framework we hold with Suffolk County Council to maintain and upgrade bridges across the county.

The Suffolk Bridges' Framework commenced in 2002, and has been extended until September 2009. It covers replacing or renovating bridges over rivers and railway lines, and includes an option to build new bridges. To date, we’ve worked on 49 bridges under the framework.

In Suffolk, otters have been seen to use bridges to mark their territory but won’t necessarily swim under them - especially if the through route is dark or there’s an in-channel structure such as a weir. Instead, they mark one side of the bridge, then cross the road and mark the other side – increasing their risk of being killed by a vehicle travelling across the bridge.

To reduce this risk, we’re using otter-proof fencing to discourage them from crossing the road, and providing otter walkways underneath the bridges (see pic).

Ivan Abel, Project Manager, explains: “In the past we’ve used pre-cast concrete and soft and hard wood for the otter runs.

“Plaswood is made from 100% recycled plastic. It’s very workable and user friendly, and much lighter than concrete – and unlike timber won’t eventually rot when in contact with water.”