Environmental assessments are an important part of highway construction planning, particularly when projects affect habitats occupied by protected wildlife. On Arizona's Loop 303 extension, pre-construction surveys and wildlife relocation activities were completed before crews began ground-disturbing work.
Pulice, a FlatironDragados company, coordinated the effort to relocate nearly two dozen burrowing owls identified within and near the planned construction corridor. The work was undertaken ahead of the highway extension between Van Buren Street and MC 85.
Alta E&I, a Pulice subcontractor, conducted surveys between May and July 2026 to identify active burrows and determine the extent of owl activity across the project area.
Following the surveys, the project team implemented environmental mitigation measures with support from Wild at Heart, a Phoenix-area nonprofit specializing in raptor rescue and rehabilitation.
The relocation process involved capturing the affected owls, providing temporary housing and transferring them to prepared sites equipped with artificial burrow systems. Protective enclosures allowed the birds to acclimate to their new surroundings before release.
Burrowing owls are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Pre-construction surveys help identify nesting activity and determine whether avoidance or relocation measures are necessary before construction affects occupied habitat.
The wildlife mitigation work supports a broader Arizona Department of Transportation investment in transportation capacity across the West Valley.
Pulice is delivering the $322 million, four-mile Loop 303 extension, primarily along the Cotton Lane corridor. The project extends the freeway from Van Buren Street south to MC 85.
The construction program includes freeway lanes, interchanges, bridges, frontage roads, lighting, signage and sound walls.
The project demonstrates the role of environmental surveys and specialist coordination in major transportation construction. Identifying protected wildlife before site preparation allows project teams to address habitat impacts as part of pre-construction planning.
For highway contractors and public-sector owners, integrating environmental mitigation into project delivery is an important consideration when construction corridors intersect with sensitive habitats.
Source: Pulice.
