Protective fencing failed to keep terrapins out of Route 6 bridge construction zone, officials say

Construction on two Route 6 bridges between Wareham and Marion has been delayed after diamondback terrapins broke through protective barriers and laid at least two nests within the work area. 

According to a representative from MassWildlife, "issues" with temporary fencing installed during construction caused several threatened turtles to enter the construction site, which sits on the Weweantic River. 

The ongoing $51 million bridge construction project is set to expand the Route 6 roadway to include two 11-feet-wide travel lanes in each direction, four-foot shoulders and a 10-foot shared use path on each side of Route 6. The project is spearheaded by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and has been underway since March. 

The construction contractor, Northern Construction Service LLC, started demobilizing some of its equipment after July 10 in response to the potential terrapin habitats, a spokesperson from the transportation department wrote in an email to Wareham Week. 

This slowdown may further delay the bridge project, which has been in the works for years. According to the transportation department, the project was initially expected to be completed in June 2028. The "substantial completion" date has been pushed back to November 2028.

According to MassWildlife, Northern Construction Service was responsible for implementing a Terrapin Protection Plan to avoid interfering with the threatened reptiles. The contractor installed turtle protection barriers to prevent terrapins from entering the site as part of that plan, the transportation department said. However, turtles still entered through the barrier and into the work site.

MassWildlife wrote that the department did not issue a stop work order. Instead, Northern Construction Service paused construction on "portions of the site" while working to be compliant with the Terrapin Protection Plan and the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. 

"Other project operations" outside of terrapin nesting areas were permitted to continue and remain underway, according to the transportation department. It is currently unclear what those operations are. 

Around 2:15 p.m. Thursday, there were no visible construction workers from the Marion side of the bridge. Multiple non-moving cranes sat on the bridge, with one holding three flags from its hook. 

According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, MassWildlife is requiring that "all suitable or potentially suitable" nesting spots be evaluated and cleared before construction can resume in certain project areas. 

It is unknown if there are more nests at the construction site. New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance President Carol “Krill” Carson said terrapin nests can be hard to find. The nests are laid underground: female terrapins dig a hole, lay their eggs, fill them in and leave.

The site will be divided into three categories: suitable nesting areas, questionable areas needing further review and areas not fit for terrapin nests. Northern Construction Service and the state's Department of Transportation will determine where construction activities can proceed. The two will then seek to "reach an agreement" with MassWildlife to resume working in the potential nesting areas. 

Diamondback terrapin turtles are a "threatened" species, according to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. According to Carson, the turtles sometimes climb up over the bridge and get hit by cars.

In response, New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance members have put up 1,500 feet of chicken wire in the last few years to prevent turtles from climbing onto the Route 6 bridge. After construction started, Northern Construction Service was responsible for the fencing. 

Northern Construction Service did not immediately respond to Wareham Week's request for comment. 

Terrapins are known to be in the area. In 2022, the coastal wildlife alliance found 120 terrapin nests at the nearby Briarwood Beach. Terrapin nesting season occurs from June to mid-July. After eggs are laid, the incubation periods for the turtles range from 59 to 116 days in Massachusetts, according to the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.