Footbridge Road bridge work paused by nesting birds

The Footbridge Road bridge in the Township of North Dumfries was photographed in this undated image. (Courtesy: Township of North Dumfries)

A bridge project in North Dumfries is being paused due to the presence of migratory birds.

The township said the Footbridge Road bridge rehabilitation project south of Cambridge is on hold because Cliff Swallows are nesting on the underside of the bridge concrete. They are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act and their nests cannot be disturbed or destroyed.

The township said it submitted a workplan that included a buffer zone and monitoring by avian specialists, but Canadian Wildlife Services rejected the plan and requires a 50 metre buffer zone from the closest nest.

“This buffer zone eliminates the ability to work on the bridge until nesting is completed by August 31,” the township said.

For the moment, the bridge remains closed. Structural repairs were scheduled to wrap up in the fall, but that timeline may now be delayed.