Endangered snakes delay Banwell Road, E.C. Row Expressway overpass projects
CBC
Work on Windsor's large Banwell Road interchange and corridor construction projects is currently on hold after Butler's gartersnakes were discovered.
The snakes are considered a species at risk. Similar environmental concerns surrounded the same reptile while the neighbouring NextStar Energy battery plant was being built.
The road projects total more than $100 million and include an overpass being built across the E.C. Row Expressway, another roundabout, on and off ramps, and more lanes put in on Banwell as the road widens south of the expressway, on the city's east-side.
Right now, there's a dedicated intersection with traffic lights — meaning vehicles often back up and idle for multiple light cycles in all directions.
Under Ontario's Endangered Species Act, a provincial permit was issued to the city on May 28 regarding the snakes.
It includes conditions requiring surveys being conducted, called "targeted salvage," to collect and remove them from the project area before work can get underway.
Any Butler's gartersnakes found will be moved by a "qualified professional" to a "suitable area within their home range," according to Gary Wheeler, spokesperson for Ontario's Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.
The permit remains in effect until all conditions are satisfied, he said, and that includes installing exclusion fencing and using certain surveying methods, such as cover boards, to locate all of the snakes in the area.
"Multiple surveys are required to be conducted, to ensure all Butler's gartersnakes are removed prior to the start of construction," said Wheeler.
"This includes requirements to minimize adverse effects on the species and its habitat, implementing beneficial actions to support the protection and recovery of the species, and monitoring the effectiveness of those beneficial actions for a 10-year monitoring period," he added.
Karen Alexander is the City of Windsor's naturalist. She says the Butler's gartersnake is only found in a few places in North America, with the majority of them isolated to the Great Lakes region.
The snakes are being relocated to nearby areas approved by the province.
"You move through the area that you've isolated the snakes into, and you're visually searching for them," she said.
"When you find them, you're putting them in a bag and bringing them to relocation sites."
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