Bloomington applying for $300K grant to protect turtles crossing busy road
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The City of Bloomington is seeking more than a quarter-million dollars to help protect its turtles.
If approved, the federal grant would pay for constructing a fence meant to keep the reptiles safe and off a busy stretch of road.
Bush Lake Road in west Bloomington is a busy place for traffic. It's also a busy place for turtles who instinctively nest in the wetlands that lie on both sides of the road.
"They're part of our urban ecosystem. Turtles are important to us and they're important to the community," said Brian Gruidl, Water Resources Manager for the City of Bloomington.
The city is now in the process of applying for a $300,000 grant to build turtle barriers to keep turtles and drivers safe.
"It's the unexpected stopping and swerving that can cause the traffic accidents," said Gruidl. "By doing this it kind of helps us bridge the gap a little bit between our urban environment and our wildlife."
The plan is to build a one-mile fence along Bush Lake Road that would go one foot above and one foot below ground. It would replace a temporary fence that's in disrepair.
If all goes as planned, the fence would be in place by 2025 or 2026. The city eventually plans on building a turtle crossing that would go underneath Bush Lake Road and would coincide with scheduled road repairs.
"Turtles are part of our urban ecosystem and they have a place in the urban environment. They help decompose things that are in the lake, they eat different things that are in the lake and so they're just a part of the natural process," said Griudl.
If you see a turtle on the road, you're advised to slow down, avoid swerving and keep moving. Also, do not pick up turtles on the road since it may catch other drivers off guard, Gruidl said.
