New wildlife tunnels offer safe passage for endangered salamanders and uninterrupted travel for residents

For the first time this spring, endangered Jefferson Salamanders will safely make their annual crossing using tunnels York Region built last summer.

Each spring and fall, tiny, endangered Jefferson Salamanders travel between breeding grounds, crossing Stouffville Road between Bayview Avenue and Leslie Street in the City of Richmond Hill.

Over the years, York Region temporarily closed this section of Stouffville Road to allow the salamanders to cross safely. Scientists with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority also collected valuable data on salamander movement patterns, range and genetics.

York Region applied years of research to tunnel design and installed two permanent salamander tunnels beneath Stouffville Road. The salamanders are guided to the new tunnels by exclusion fencing. Timelapse video captures the stages of tunnel construction in summer 2025.

The tunnels are the first of their kind in York Region, offering a long-term solution that protects the species while keeping the road open. Gerard Sullivan, an Environmental Specialist with York Region Public Works explains the importance of the tunnels on video.

This project was made possible through partnership with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and community support. The salamander population and their rich habitat in the Oak Ridges Moraine are undisturbed and protected, ready to thrive for generations to come.