Environmentalists demand work to stop on the new high occupancy toll lanes on the beltway, even though the tolled HOT lanes are supposed to ease congestion and speed traffic for commuters. 

The National Audubon Society whose mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems has requested officials to halt construction on the new Interstate 495 High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes in Virginia.

In the request, Audubon asked construction on the I-495 HOT lanes be put on hold until after the nesting season of the Barn Swallow. One of the sites in question is a long the Little River Turnpike. Elaine Franklin, a naturalist with the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia said, "If any of these areas are cleared now, current nests are doomed to fail as the nestlings will likely starve to death." Franklin also said it is likely to late in the season for the birds to nest elsewhere.

The barn swallows come from South America every year to raise their babies right under traffic. "The nests for the barn swallows are here under the bridge, but they need the whole area to forage for insects," said Elaine Franklin, Audubon Society Naturalist. 

According to The U.S. Fish and Wildfire Service, it is a violation of theMigratory Bird Treaty Act, Sec. 703 to disturb the nest of any song birds. They must give the birds time to develop and leave the nests completely before any construction begins. "What kind of environmental impact study was done that lets us neglect the breeding season of songbirds and migratory birds," asked Jeanette Stewart, Lands and Waters President.

Although the birds live a few dozen yards away from the construction work, some people worry it's too much for an already declining barn swallow population. "We were hoping they would be able to wait on this site for another 2-4 weeks so these birds would have a chance to finish nesting before they started the disturbance," said Franklin.

"We have to get the project underway, however that said, we're still sensitive to the needs as we find it," said VDOT spokesman Steve Titunik. He continued to say the construction is happening because they have environmental permits. "We have a plan approved by Fish and Wildlife Service and so far as we stay within the guidelines of our plan, everyone's in agreement that things should be fine," said Titunik.

Groundbreaking for the HOT lanes is scheduled for late July, but the work won't be completed until 2013.

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