Infrastructure and Maintenance Best Management Practices

Follow these standard best management practices that apply to all roadwork projects.

If road sweeping must occur in May, August or September (turtle hatching periods), conduct a visual inspection of the road and shoulders before sweeping, then avoid sweeping in locations where turtles are nesting and turtle hatchlings are present.

Do not do cold or hot pavement patch work on road shoulders or embankments between May and September (turtle nesting season).

If infrastructure maintenance is necessary and permitted to go ahead during bird nesting season between May and August, implement measures to discourage nesting before the nesting season begins, for example, tarping or blocking areas where birds may nest.

Schedule road sweeping after rainfall when damp aggregate is easier to collect and generates less dust.

Use water as needed to control dust during sweeping.

Near water crossings or bridges, promptly collect waste and debris from road sweeping. Dispose of all material collected from road sweeping at least 30 metres from watercourses or water bodies.

Locate wildlife signs in areas where wildlife frequently cross and install the signs on straight sections before curves so they are visible to drivers. Wildlife signs are recommended as a temporary solution until fencing or eco-passage solutions can be implemented.

• Install streetlights or outdoor lighting only where necessary for safety. Avoid placing lights near habitats used for species’ important life stages.
• Adjust roadway lighting by using green lighting instead of red or white lights. Use low-intensity, dark sky and species-friendly lighting such as low-pressure sodium lamps with full cut-off shielded fixtures.
• Use taller streetlights to guide bats above traffic.

In areas where guardrails create an impermeable feature, such as concrete rails with little or no surface holes or gaps, install wildlife fencing to redirect species to safe passage.

When replacing guardrails, if wildlife exclusion fencing is not an option, install guardrails that are permeable metal or cable designs.

Seal drains or open joints before cleaning or sweeping bridge decks.

Inspect all infrastructure before any maintenance. Pay particular attention to ledges, vertical surfaces, deck drains, lateral drains, and culverts.