Merritt Parkway Tree Removal To Last At Least Two More Summers

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- Fairfield County commuters better get used to traffic jams on the Merritt Parkway caused by tree removal for the rest of this summer -- and next summer. And the next.

That's the word from Connecticut Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Nursick, who said Hurricane Irene, Superstorm Sandy and this winter's blizzard have forced the state's hand to take drastic measures in tree removal on one of the state's most scenic highways.

After a hurricane assessment report was presented to Gov. Dannel Malloy and the Department of Transportation after those storms, the state decided that all trees within 30 feet of the edge of the asphalt that "pose a safety concern" must be removed in anticipation of future storms.

Since Sandy, the state has doubled its tree crew personnel from 25 to 50 and its budget from $1 million to $2 million per year.

"This is the picture all around the state," Nursick said. "We have a lot of tree work to do, and we've been doing it in earnest."

The crews are wrapping up removal on the northbound side of the Merritt in New Canaan and Westport. Tree removal will begin on the southbound side from Westport to Greenwich once the northbound project is complete. That work will last the rest of the summer and is sure to tie up traffic throughout Fairfield County.

Although many people have shared concerns about the aesthetics of removing the trees from along the Merritt, Nursick said the safety of drivers and keeping the parkway open are the state's top priorities.

"The Merritt Parkway leads the state, by far, in car-versus-tree incidents," he said. "We don't say, 'Let's lower our safety level because it's special.' We don't do that in this business. Safety comes first, aesthetics comes second."

Nursick also said it was "unacceptable" for the parkway to be closed for two days again as it was in the previous storms, considering the importance of the state in the road.

"People have seen the price that we pay in these storms, particularly on the Merritt Parkway, with trees falling," he said.

See original here:
Merritt Parkway Tree Removal To Last At Least Two More Summers