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Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is announcing site preparation activities on two pollinator habitat sites in Allegheny County this week.

Site preparation work for native seeding is anticipated to occur in May and is expected to create 14 acres of pollinator friendly habitat at the I-79/I-79 (PA Turnpike) interchange in Marshall Township and the I-79 Kirwan Heights interchange in Collier Township. Herbicide applications will occur at both locations.

Routine roadside mowing will continue to occur along the shoulder areas of the roadway while the inner portions of the Right of Way (ROW) will be allowed to develop into a pollinator-friendly mix of native flowers and grasses, including milkweed (the host plant for the Monarch butterfly) and 20 additional species that will provide 3 seasons of blooms. When ROWs are planted with native vegetation, they have the ability to provide critical habitat for Monarch butterflies and other imperiled native pollinators.

This work is possible as part of a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Monarch and Pollinators Conservation Fund grant secured by Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. Additional partners include NiSource, Columbia Gas, Chatham University, and RES LLC.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jesse Sabitsky, 717-787-5054

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