Where are those birds?

For months, nesting bald eagles have delayed the start of a $5.8 million construction project on the Norman Wood Bridge, which spans the Susquehanna River between York and Lancaster counties.

Now that a crew is preparing to repaint the bridge, which towers more than 100 feet above the river, the workers have been watching for them.

"Everybody's looking for the eagles, but nobody has seen any," said Maria Savakis, safety director for the Hercules Painting Company Inc. of New Castle, Lawrence County.

Wildlife, such as the threatened bald eagle, can temporarily set back construction work so the birds and their nests aren't disturbed. Otherwise, their young could die.

To illustrate how

sensitive eagles are, one of the trails at William H. Kain County Park had to be temporarily closed earlier this year because people were standing under a nest waiting to see them, said Mike Fobes, manager of natural resources for York County Parks.

"The eagle was never going to come back when they were standing underneath it," he said.

Eagles must keep their eggs a certain temperature in order for them to hatch, Fobes said.

They were jittery in the spring, but eventually grew used to people coming by, he said.

While they do adjust to their environment, "a car going over (a bridge) is a lot different than a person working there," Fobes said.

The contractor will be able to work on the first seven piers of the bridge, counting from the York County side, until July 31, said Greg Penny, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. After that, the entire bridge will be fair game.

It's a temporary setback but work that can be delayed until the birds are fledging and have left the nest, said Jerry Feaser, a Game Commission spokesman.

The contractor is working seven days a week in part because of the delay, Penny said. The company only has a few more months before the weather will

hamper the work.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2009, but the contractor anticipates finishing ahead of schedule.

And the eagles aren't the only birds the crew is on the lookout for.

The contractor was warned that a pair of peregrine falcons, which are considered endangered in Pennsylvania, are scoping out a nesting area for next year.

Savakis said the crew hasn't seen the falcons, either, since it started work last week.

Workers can use a broom to protect themselves from the aggressive birds, but they are not allowed to swing at them, Penny said.

Savakis said they hope to see the birds while working on the bridge.

"I'm hoping that throughout the duration of the project, we'll see a bald eagle," she said.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Work began last week on a $5.8 million project to repair and repaint the Route 372 bridge over the Susquehanna River between York and Lancaster counties.

The bridge, which also is known as the Norman Wood Bridge, is about two-thirds of a mile long and carries about 3,500 vehicles a day.

The bulk of the work involves removing the old paint and giving it a fresh coat. The old paint contains lead, so a containment system will be used to prevent the chips from falling into the river. Repairs also will be made to the bridge joints and deck. Drivers will see traffic restrictions from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. seven days a week.

Flaggers are directing drivers for now. In a few weeks, signal lights will control the traffic round the clock.

The entire project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2009, although the contractor, Hercules Painting Company Inc. of New Castle, Lawrence County, anticipates finishing ahead of schedule.

ON THE BLOG

Beauty surrounds the Norman Wood bridge: Read more on the York Town Square blog.