County to Replace Cut Trees on Parkway

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

A lot of readers have emailed the Observer about the ongoing removal of trees from the median of the East-West Parkway. Turns out the crepe myrtles, which can be notorious for needing pruning on a regular basis to control growth, had apparently been creating safety issues for workers and drivers.

Anderson County took on the job of maintaining the trees which were planted on the state parkway which opened Nov. 8, 2013. Since the trees are on a state road, they are not the county’s responsibility, but as they grew and became unwieldy, the county tried to cut the trees back and keep them from canopying over the roadway creating potential hazards for drivers.

Safety concerns for county workers were also a factor in the decision.

“I really hated it,” said Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns. “We are going to plant something else on those medians which do not require as much maintenance and which will not have roots that will destroy the road.”

Burns said when the parkway opened, council passed legislation which protected it from over development and that he sees the county as the “protector of the East-West Parkway.” 

This story is developing…