Several portions of moose fencing along New Brunswick’s Route 7 are weighed down by fallen trees or are already on the ground.
Damage is concentrated in the area around Petersville Hill. At least some fencing damage appears to have been caused by a motor vehicle collision.
Damage to moose fencing has been an issue on Route 7 for several years, with varying timelines year-to-year on repairs being made.
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Jeff Carr says damage from this past winter will be repaired “as soon as possible.”
“I made it very clear to the department that these pieces of infrastructure need to be maintained on a regular basis,” says Carr. “So hopefully we won’t get into a situation again where the moose are getting out onto the major highways, and we continue to make sure the travelling public have safe corridors.”
Carr says D.T.I. staff will inspect moose fencing throughout the province and make any necessary repairs.
When asked, Carr didn’t have a specific timeline for when repairs would be made, except to say “as soon as possible.”
According to the provincial government, most moose-vehicle collisions in New Brunswick happen between May and October, when moose leave the forest to escape insects and heat.
