County Tree Trimming Update

Press release from Alachua County

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – The Alachua County Public Works Department announced today that they are wrapping up the trimming of trees and vegetation on NE County Road 1493 and NE 234th Ave, just north of LaCrosse. 

Next week tree trimming crews will be moving to NW County Road 241, between NW County Road 235 and State Road 26 (Newberry Road). Please expect some delays in traffic over the next several weeks while this work progresses. To reduce delays in the most congested areas, staff are planning to work on select Saturday mornings when the traffic volume is expected to be lighter.

With the long wet summers in Alachua County, trees and vegetation grow extremely quickly. Many trees grow several feet a year as they reach towards the center of the road seeking sunlight, so road crews must work diligently to keep the vegetation pushed back away from the road for safety. 

Trimming the trees and vegetation in the County-maintained right-of-way enhances safety by:

• Improving the visibility of vehicular traffic at intersections and driveway entrances
• Lifting the tree canopy for trucks to pass under
• Providing a clear zone that allows drivers time to recover control of their vehicle when they accidentally run off the roadway
• Reducing the risk of dead or declining trees falling on the roadway

Alachua County is well known for its beautiful canopy roads, so extra care is given by staff to the stately, long-living, high-valued shade trees. All vegetation management of the County-maintained right-of-way is done under the watchful eye of Neil Greishaw, a horticulturist and ISA Certified Arborist with the Public Works Department. Greishaw said, “Our goal is to remove the problematic trees now while we trim the right-of-way, so we don’t have to respond later in an after-hours emergency situation.” He encourages staff to follow the “3 D’s” of pruning; removing the dead, diseased, and damaged limbs to help ensure the trees will remain healthy. Crews also strive to follow the ANSI A300 Pruning Standards as much as conditions allow.