Lake Havasu's famed London Bridge is a point of pride to many residents, and now it's also home to thousands of Yuma myotis bats living inside the dark and damp structure.
After careful surveys of the bridge's flying mammal inhabitants were performed, the first major renovations to the bridge in its 40-year history are finally underway.
"When we first started in here we had to have a biologist do some studies," said Nolan Wance, a contractor working on the bridge.
State laws prohibit the disturbance of an animal habitat by construction. It was determined the renovations that include the installation of new ladders and safety railing wouldn't impact the bats.
"This is where they want to be now and a little bit of noise isn't going to send them flying," said Brent Morris, a field supervisor for the Lake Havasu water division.
Darker areas and small crevices are among the more populated areas. They are marked by large amounts of droppings called guano. Aside from a few close encounters, the bats have been cooperative with the crews working inside the bridge.
"Every now and then we've had some workers and it kind of gets to them. They swoop by our head," Wance said.
It is believed the mammals are able to access the interior of the bridge through small openings where the three-main sections of the bridge come together.
Morris also said bats are aren't the only critters that have taken up residence in the bridge, a skunk and bobcat have also been spotted inside the structure.
Construction on the bridge is set to be complete in about six weeks.
