Tree removal on I-26 part of future plan to widen highway - wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina |

Tree removal on I-26 part of future plan to widen highway

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(Photo: SCDOT) (Photo: SCDOT)
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SUMMERVILLE, SC (WCSC) -

South Carolina Department of Transportation officials talked on Thursday about the I-26 road improvement project that will cut down trees in the median from Summerville to I-95 to improve safety on the roadway.

SCDOT Commissioner Jim Rozier tried to get commissioners to flip on the idea and not cut the trees down in the median. But the rest of the group did not agree with him.

"You win some you lose some," Rozier said."But after hearing the reasons why the trees were being cut down it's hard to argue that this will help safety."

Rozier says the plan calls for three acres of trees along 29 miles of I-26 to be cut down.

Permits for the projects are being applied for now and that process could take 3 to 6 months.

Rozier says in the project presentation by the chief engineer, officers were told that cutting down the trees wasn't only for safety reasons, but also plans to widen both sides of the highway to three lanes in the future.

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