Old Locha Creek steel culvert on Highway 17
A culvert that was recently replaced on Highway 17 near Renfrew will allow small wildlife to safely cross the road.
Representatives from the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) provided an update on local projects to the County of Renfrew council meeting this week (February 24th, 2021).
The new Locha Creek Culvert on Highway 17 was installed with small wildlife in mind.
The Locha Creek Culvert is just west of the Miller/Anderson intersection on Highway 17 and about two to three kilometers from the Calabogie Road intersection.
MTO representative Darren Waters says they replaced the old steel pipe with a precast concrete box that will extend across the 4-lane highway once the expansion is complete.
Waters says they keep the environment in mind when building and with discussions with the Ministry of Natural Resources were able to identify the location as a prime habitat for cold water fish. He adds they landed on the open footed culvert to improve the environment with the river stone aiding in the fish passage.
This area on Highway 17 has also been identified as a “hotspot for wildlife mortality”.
The MTO hopes small animals will pass through the culvert with the ledge above the high water mark.
