Nightly News   |  October 06, 2012

Spider has Texas traffic in tangled web

A major construction project has come to a complete and sudden halt due to an underground discovery that's pitting conservation efforts against frustrated drivers. NBC’s Janet Shamlian reports.

Share This:

This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>> it was supposed to be the answer of a traffic nightmare, but in san antonio , texas, a major construction project has come to a sudden halt due to conservation efforts against frustrated drivers. here's janet shamlian .

>> reporter: it's deserted now, but for nongs that had been a busy construction zone. an underpass designed to ease congestion at one of san antonio 's biggest bottlenecks.

>> it is quite consistent.

>> but the $15 million project is now on hold, due to the endangered spider. it's about the size of a dime.

>> what's significant about it is it's the first time we've seen it in 30 years. a lot of people thought this guy was distinct, but it's exciting in the biological world.

>> reporter: it was found in a hole right in the middle of a construction zone. there was only one spider found, but because it is a federally protected endangered species and because there could be a habitat in the ground below here, it has all, but canceled, the plans for the underpass. it's not the first time. endangered tortoises and lizards have held up oil projects and oil drilling , but an itsy-bitsy spider? [ screaming ]

>> reporter: critics say it's something out of a horror movie.

>> stopping this project when we've only seen a couple of these spiders in decades really doesn't make a lot of sense. the texas department of transportation is back at the drawing board , but a workaround for the 80,000 drivers who pass through here each day could be years away.

>> it's ridiculous. surely we can do something else with a spider.

>> reporter: a tangled mess as a rare spider creates a web of complication. janet shamlian , nbc news, san antonio .