The green bridge connecting Ockham and Wisley Commons acts as a safe crossing over the busy carriageway not just for people, but also for wildlife such as deer, badgers, voles and other small animals.
The beams for the structure were installed by National Highways last year and since then, workers have used specialist equipment to transport turf from nearby land onto the bridge.
Around 10,000 square metres of heathland were moved from donor sites, with the landscape allowed to slowly establish itself over the coming years.
The Cockcrow Bridge is a cornerstone of the green legacy National Highways has pledged to leave as part of a project to upgrade junction 10 of the M25 and the A3 Wisley Interchange.
Jonathan Wade, Senior Project Manager at National Highways, said: 鈥淭his scheme is about much more than just improving road journeys 鈥� enhancing the surrounding environment is a huge part of our work.
鈥淲e are thrilled to have taken this big step forward in bringing the Cockcrow Bridge to life, where a range of wildlife will find it easier to migrate, mate, eat, and survive.鈥�
Green bridges have been hailed as a way of joining disconnected habitats and vulnerable populations, but only a handful have been established so far in the UK, compared to dozens in other countries on the continent.
They are typically planted with hedgerows and trees, but Cockcrow puts lowland heathland at its centre.
Moving established turf creates bare ground in the heathland, which in turn will improve the habitats in the wider environment. Therefore, species such as sand lizards, which nest in bare sand, will benefit.
Ben Hewlett, Senior Environmental Advisor at National Highways, added: 鈥淗eathland is one of the UK鈥檚 most threatened environments and is a vital habitat for a wide range of invertebrates, reptiles, and bird species.
鈥淭he M25 junction 10 and A3 is surrounded by lowland heathland, a habitat that has declined in Surrey by 85% over the last 200 years.
鈥淭his is a golden opportunity for multiple species to expand their territories and strengthen their populations.鈥�
Marisa Heath, Surrey County Council cabinet member for environment and planning, said: 鈥淪urrey鈥檚 heaths are an important habitat, so we鈥檙e thrilled to have the UK鈥檚 first heathland bridge in our county.
鈥淭he bridge links Wisley and Ockham commons for the first time in decades, so we鈥檙e excited to see the improvements to local ecosystems and the benefits for the species which rely on them. I urge walkers, cyclists and horse riders in the area to visit the bridge and take a look.
鈥淎s we continue to work with National Highways and Surrey Wildlife Trust, we鈥檙e looking forward to seeing how the new heathland link establishes itself and brings real environmental change.鈥�
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