Pigeons have marked their territory, so-to-speak, under the turnpike bridge in Bensalem, Pa.
Picture a scene out of the movie “The Birds” by Alfred Hitchcock then read on.
Motorists reported birds flying into windshields while being stopped at the traffic light under the bridge.
Pedestrians reported having to dodge piles of bird droppings on the roadway and sidewalks.
This was all going down under the turnpike bridge at Street Rd.
These complaints started ringing in to the Turnpike Commission’s customer service center in March 2008 according to Mimi Lindelow, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
“Once we became aware of this problem we began to investigate possible solutions to control the pigeon population at this location. Turnpike maintenance crews have gone out in the past to clean the area of bird droppings; however controlling the bird’s nesting habits at any bridge is not an easy task,” said Lindelow.
After the investigation, the engineers determined the pigeon problem a “health issue for pedestrians” and a “safety issue for motorists.”
The solution? Install netting to keep the birds away.
So, JPS Construction was hired by the Turnpike Commission in October to initiate clean up in preparation to install the netting.
Workers wore protective clothing as a health precaution during the clean up process. And, power washing the entire area under the bridge was the only way to remove the build-up of bird droppings.
“When we clean up the area this time, we really want to ensure that the pigeon population is safely removed from the bridge site and we have selected, what we feel is an option that should alleviate the problem,” said Lindelow.
When the clean-up was completed in November, the contractor installed the netting at an estimated $100,000.
Only now, pigeons are allegedly getting through holes in the netting, becoming trapped, and dying inside, according to one woman.
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“I believe this is cruelty and someone needs to do something to correct this,” the woman said.
However, the Turnpike Commission feels that their main concern is to provide a “safe and healthy environment for anyone driving or walking” under the bridge.
“We promise to monitor the situation and take the necessary steps to protect the public and not harm any birds in the process,” said Lindelow.
The contractor has been notified, Lindelow noted.
