Find Out What Happened to the Trees on Arsenal Street

One of the trees along Arsenal Street near the new apartment complex was ripped out of the ground recently when a tractor trailer struck it, and other trees in the area had to be trimmed to prevent further damage.

Tree Warden Chris Hayward said the damage occurred in mid-June while Arsenal Street was being ripped up to remove old trolley tracks.

“Because the center of the road was now closed, traffic had to be pushed to the outer edges of the roadway,” Hayward said. “Around 3 p.m. on Thursday June 16, a tractor trailer truck clipped a large leader that had not been pruned in advance of this new traffic pattern. That tree was literally ripped out of its planting location.”

To prevent similar accidents, an arborist was brought in to trim the remaining trees to a height where trucks would not hit the trees – 13 feet, 6 inches.

The trees had been slated to be removed to allow changes to the roadway, including a bicycle lane, but the town agreed to try to preserve them. Hayward said he will try to do everything he can to protect the trees, but could not make any promises.

“Moving forward I will continue to do my best to protect these trees but I have to warn everyone concerned that we are dealing with a very busy location, both above ground and below,” Hayward said. “No matter how much protection can be provided, roadway reconstruction and street tree protection is a very tricky business.”