BOSTON — Massachusetts highway workers responsible for opening the high occupancy vehicle lane on an inbound highway to Boston made an unusual discovery.

Department of Transportation workers preparing to open the so-called zipper lane on the Southeast Expressway on Monday morning found a fawn stranded between the concrete barriers.

The workers lifted the scared deer into the vehicle, fed it grass and gave it drinking water, then went about their business until they could hand the animal over to wildlife officials.

Wildlife officials say the fawn will be released into the wild at the nearby Blue Hills Reservation.