Trees trimmed on CT highways for safety

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) - It has been three months since the autumn nor'easter damaged thousands of trees, and took out power for millions of Connecticut residents, but the sound of tree trimming and cutting equipment will be around for a long time to come.

Cutting back on the growth of trees at the sides of highways around the state is underway. For some it appears that perfectly healthy trees are being cut down.

The crews are working along Route 9 in Deep River today.
    
The Brontosaurus machine being used to cut the trees can do the work of a whole team of workers with powersaws in a matter of minutes. They're gradually working their way up Route 9 toward Middletown. They're clearing back the growth 30 feet from the roadway.
     
Many of the trees look perfectly fine now, but after that heavy snow in October they were bent over toward the roadway. The Department of Transportation said they're compromised and have to go.

 "After the storm and after the snow clears, they kind of straighten back up again, so most folks would consider these trees not a problem, but we know that they are damaged, and that in the proper conditions are going to wind up in the road again, potentially on a person's car," said Kevin Nursick/ CT DOT.

It's expected there will be crews like the ones on Route 9 working somewhere in the state for at least a year.

There have been complaints from some folks that say the beauty of Connecticut in being compromised.

"These are highways, these aren't state parks or state forests, so we need to maintain a safe and efficient highway system," said Nursick.
     
The state admits that it was really about ten years behind in it's roadside tree trimming program because of budget cuts, but the October nor'easter and tropical storm Irene has convinced everyone of the need for more funding.
     
The DOT said the crews will continue moving north toward Middletown for several more days. Starting on Monday, another crew will be working in Fairfield along the Merritt Parkway, north and south for about a month.