[Durham INC] Durham to Close Portions of Buchanan and Gregson for Tree Removal

Wed Nov 23 10:10:19 EST 2011

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

News Release

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov

For Immediate Release: November 23, 2011

Durham to Close Portions of Buchanan Boulevard and Gregson Street for
Tree Removal 

Temporary Street Closures from November 28 through December 9 Necessary
to Remove Existing Trees for 

Sidewalk Repair and Tree Replacement Project

DURHAM, N.C. - Beginning the week of November 28, Durham motorists
should note temporary detours on portions of North Buchanan Boulevard
and North Gregson Street as the City of Durham makes way for upcoming
sidewalk repairs and for more than 70 new trees to be planted this
winter.

For the first stage of the project, the City is partnering with Duke
Energy to remove 14 existing street trees, most of which have damaged
neighboring sidewalks and curbing and are in a state of decline due to
years of heavy pruning to keep them clear of existing overhead power
lines. In order to remove the existing trees and other debris to allow
new sidewalk sections to be poured, the City will temporarily close
portions of these two streets starting next week.

On Monday, November 28, North Buchanan Boulevard will be closed between
the 800 and 1000 blocks so that seven trees can be safely removed.
Traffic detours will be put into place during daylight hours, which are
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and normal traffic will resume on North Buchanan
Boulevard on Friday, December 2. Tree removal will only take place
during daylight hours and the detour will only be in effect during this
timeframe.

On Monday, December 5, North Gregson Street will be closed between the
200 and 600 blocks so that seven trees can be safely removed. Traffic
detours will again be put into place during daylight hours, which are
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and normal traffic will resume on North Gregson
Street on Friday, December 9. Tree removal will only take place during
daylight hours and the detour will only be in effect during this time.

According to Alex Johnson, urban forestry manager with the City's Urban
Forestry Division in the General Services Department, Duke Energy's
partnership with the City for this project is a collaboration that
benefits both the company and Durham's taxpayers. "Duke Energy is
interested in this partnership because of the presence of overhead power
lines and the continual challenge they face in keeping the lines clear
while keeping their crews safe since both of these streets are major
arterial routes," Johnson said. "Duke Energy is funding the removal of
the existing trees through its budget, which ultimately saves our
taxpayers."

The tree replacement stage of the project, which is funded through the
Durham Tree Alliance, Trinity Park Neighborhood Association, Keep Durham
Beautiful, Inc., and the City's Urban Forestry Division, will begin as
early as December, but will hit its stride in February with the planting
of over 70 new trees on these two streets. According to Johnson, the new
trees have been specifically selected to be compatible with Duke Energy
design standards and will range in species type including Chinese
Pistache, Trident Maple, Lacebark Elm, and Overcup Oak.   

According to Johnson, the new trees will solve several issues that are
regularly encountered by the community, the City, and Duke Energy on
these two busy streets. "Gregson Street and Buchanan Boulevard are major
roads that go through the heart of Durham and are considered by many to
be major gateways into our community," Johnson said.  "We have lost the
majority of the original street trees on the noted blocks of these two
streets in recent years due to their age and the effects of sharing
space with our transportation and electrical distribution networks.
Having contractors cut roots for sidewalk repairs is not a viable option
since those trees need those roots to stand up. There are also problems
associated with simply ramping over the roots with concrete, since the
trees in question are close to intersections, driveways, and other
features which need to all connect at the same grade. Americans with
Disability Act standards dictate the maximum angle of slope, and
changing the grade to accommodate these roots can't always work within
these guidelines. This project is ultimately going to beautify these two
important street corridors, reduce the periodic maintenance from both
the City and Duke Energy, and reduce the risk of potential tree failure
from these heavily pruned, and in most cases, declining trees." 

For more information about this project, contact Johnson at (919)
560-4197, ext. 21275 or via e-mail at Alexander.Johnson at DurhamNC.gov.
For more information about the City's Urban Forestry Division, visit 
http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/gs/Pages/Urban-Forestry.aspx. 

About the General Services Department

The City of Durham's General Services Department is committed to
providing timely, cost effective, and high quality services to its
customers while achieving the highest levels of customer satisfaction.
The core business functions include: Administration/Business Services,
Facility Operations, Landscape Services, Urban Forestry, Real Estate,
Construction Project Management, Cemeteries, Keep Durham Beautiful, and
Deferred Maintenance. As guided by the City's Strategic Plan, General
Services serves as a steward of the City's physical assets. Through
annual and long-range facility planning activities, the department
plans, provides, and maintains the City's facilities infrastructure,
which supports the community's quality of life and serves as a
foundation of a healthy economy. For more information, visit 
http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/gs/Pages/Home.aspx.  

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