If you’re driving on Western Highway between Clarkstown and Orangetown
you’re being asked to be extra cautious for the next few weeks, to help
save the area’s turtle population. Every year, turtles journey from the
nearby Hackensack River across Western Highway to lay eggs, and motorists
don’t always see them in time. Using a $1,000 grant from Suez New York,
Director of External Affairs Bill Madden says volunteers have constructed
temporary fencing to try to keep the turtles from crossing the street, but
sometimes they're determined to get where they want to go…
The area is marked by flashing hazard signs and yellow “Turtle Crossing” signs as well, and there’s almost always a volunteer standing there cautioning motorists to slow down.