The Ellenbrook wildlife bridge is a 12-meter-wide bridge north of Ellenbrook in Western Australia, designed to connect bushland known to house abundant wildlife.

Utlising Geoquest Australia’s Reinforced Earth walls and precast concrete elements for both bridge abutments and retaining walls, the structure was Main Roads Western Australia’s first-ever dedicated fauna bridge, demonstrating how to successfully make animal welfare a priority in infrastructure projects.

The bridge allows animals to safely cross the busy Tonkin Highway by mimicking the natural environment with native vegetation, rocks and logs. It is entirely dedicated for wildlife only, with natural barriers preventing human access. Contractor Great Northern Connect, a joint venture between BGC Contracting and Laing O’Rourke, built the bridge as part of the NorthLink WA central section.

A First for Western Australia

There are 12 fauna underpasses along this particular stretch of freeway, but the jewel in the crown is this first ever fully vegetated fauna bridge in Western Australia. At 12 metres wide, it will provide a natural route that encourages and allows animals of all kinds to cross the freeway safely.

During the design phase, the contractor sought to keep the profile of Tonkin Highway as low as possible to reduce noise and visual intrusion for residents of Ellenbrook. Because of this low profile, a fauna overpass was a more viable option at this location, with better environmental outcomes than fauna underpasses used elsewhere on the project.

The fauna bridge planting has now grown lush a number of years post completion. The vegetation has matured into a densely landscaped corridor, mimicking the natural environment by using trees, bushes, shrubs and ground covers that are native to the area.

Natural barriers such as heavy logs have been placed at each entrance to discourage unauthorised human access. Mounding and rockeries are built into the design providing habitat and cover for crossing animals. Videos of the structure have even captured emus crossing the bridge!

The bridge is closely monitored and maintained, ensuring continued habitat connectivity for the long-term sustainability of WA’s treasured wildlife.

 “We were proud to contribute to such a forward-thinking and environmentally significant project,” said Riccardo Musella, Managing Director of Geoquest Australia.

“The Ellenbrook Wildlife Bridge shows what’s possible when infrastructure is designed with wildlife in mind, and we hope to see many more of these built across Australia. It’s a great example of how engineering can support biodiversity and create positive, lasting outcomes for communities and the environment.”

Key Features

• Location: Located north of Ellenbrook, connecting bushland.
• Purpose: To allow wildlife to cross the Tonkin Highway safely.
• Design: Mimics the natural environment with native vegetation, rocks, and logs.
• Width: 12 meters wide.
• Accessibility: For wildlife only; human access is discouraged with natural barriers.
• Monitoring: The bridge will be closely monitored and maintained to ensure habitat connectivity.

32,600 m2 of Reinforced Earth Walls and Precast Solutions

Geoquest designed and supplied in total 32,600m2 of Reinforced Earth Walls, plus precast concrete elements, across the North Link WA – Tonkin Highway extension project.

Since the success of the Ellenbrook Wildlife Bridge, Main Roads WA has constructed further fauna bridges, including one with Geoquest on the Wilman Wadandi Highway, previously known as the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.

Geoquest Australia is a leading civil and geotechnical engineering firm, boasting 60 years of global experience across 40 countries. With a celebrated 50-year legacy in Australia, we provide engineering solutions for soil structure interaction to retain, cross, protect and strengthen.

For more information of the project contact Geoquest Regional Manager West, Rhys Senior. Or for enquiries across Australia, contact your local Geoquest office.