A major overpass along a stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Ranthambore National Park has been opened for one-sided traffic, officials said. The project has been designed to ensure the safe movement of animals and reduce human-wildlife conflict while maintaining vehicular connectivity. Authorities described the structure as a significant step in integrating infrastructure development with habitat conservation. Officials indicated that the measure aims to balance conservation requirements with regional transport needs. The overpass spans an 11.5 kilometre (km) stretch where special engineering measures have been implemented to allow wildlife and traffic to coexist with minimal disturbance. The measures include noise-reduction surfacing, vegetated corridors and fencing to funnel animals towards safe crossing points. Traffic management arrangements have been introduced to regulate vehicle speeds and timing on the one-sided section. Design features are intended to minimise noise and light intrusion into adjacent habitat. At the core of the design is a three and a half kilometre animal overpass system comprising five segments of around 500 metre (m) lengths each. Dedicated underpasses have been provided exclusively for wildlife movement to supplement the overpass and to offer alternative crossing options for different species. The segmented design is intended to accommodate the movement ecology of large mammals and smaller fauna alike. Segmentation allows for vegetation cover between spans to encourage wildlife use. Officials indicated that the opening for one-sided traffic will be monitored closely and adjusted as necessary to balance conservation objectives with transportation needs. The initiative forms part of a broader effort to mitigate road impacts on protected areas and is expected to reduce incidents of roadkill and human-animal encounters. Continued monitoring and adaptive management will be used to assess effectiveness and inform future projects. Data gathered from monitoring will be used to refine operational protocols and inform maintenance.