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Construction begins on Crossrail nature reserve
CONSTRUCTION work officially kicked off yesterday on a project to create the largest man-made nature reserve in Essex. Wallasea Island, close to Southend-on-Sea, is being transformed from farmland into a huge wildlife sanctuary to attract birds and other wildlife to the area. The 670-hectare park, which will feature marshes and mudflats, is being constructed from 4.5m tonnes of earth excavated during the Crossrail project, the new route across London from Maidenhead to Abbey Wood.