Drivers may notice an abundance of tree trimming along the George Washington Memorial Parkway over the next couple of months.
The National Park Service announced yesterday (Monday) that crews will spend the next eight weeks maintaining and evaluating trees along the southern section of the parkway between Mount Vernon and the Belle Haven area just south of Alexandria.
“Crews will perform routine cutbacks and clearing to maintain safe sightlines and road conditions,” the NPS said in a news release. “As part of this work, they will also assess the health of trees in the corridor and remove or otherwise address any that are determined to be hazardous.”
The maintenance work appears aimed at preventing a disruption of the magnitude encountered in mid-May, when a storm brought down or damaged more than 50 trees along a 2.5-mile segment of the GW Parkway.
Two drivers died after trees fell on their cars, and downed trees closed the parkway from Belle View Blvd in Belle Haven to Alexandria Avenue in Fort Hunt for more than four days. The road finally reopened in time for the morning rush hour on May 21.
According to the park service, temporary lane closures will be required in both directions throughout the project so crews can conduct the work safely:
At times, short segments of the parkway may experience brief, periodic directional closures. The National Park Service will make every effort to limit these disruptions during peak rush hour travel. If full directional closures are necessary, advance notice and detour information will be provided.
The National Park Service appreciates the public’s patience while this important safety work is completed.
Tree maintenance has become a touchy subject in Northern Virginia. Hoping to “revitalize” views of the Potomac River as part of an ongoing rehabilitation of the GW Parkway’s northern section, the National Park Service began clearing trees in Arlington last fall only to hit pause after local residents and elected officials objected.
Some local leaders and community organizations also remain anxious about the future of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail after Dominion Energy removed large swaths of trees near its power lines in the Vienna and Dunn Loring area. The utility and trail owner NOVA Parks are still negotiating an agreement to govern future vegetation maintenance.
