Bat protections approved along Indiana 'heavy haul' corridor

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (AP) - A southern Indiana development board has approved bat habitat protections along a $34 million road for heavy trucks that's under construction.

The River Ridge Development Authority Board unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday setting aside about 27 acres (11 hectares) as a conservation easement for bats near the "heavy haul" corridor.

The News and Tribune reports that Indiana transportation officials proposed the idea amid concerns that the road project that will cut through Jeffersonville's River Ridge Commerce Center could disrupt bat habitats just north of the Ohio River.

The 4-mile-long (6.4-kilometer-long) road project will link River Ridge, the Indiana 265 interchange and the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville to improve traffic circulation.

River Ridge's executive director, Jerry Acy, says the land that's set for conservation for bat species is "a real scenic area."

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Information from: News and Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind., http://www.newsandtribune.com