RIDGEVILLE — As tree cutting continues down Interstate 26, officials argue that the removals are largely for the safety of drivers.
Starting in Ridgeville, I-26 drivers have likely noticed ongoing road work stretching toward Interstate-95. According to the S.C. Department of Transportation officials, that tree cutting comes from a combination of safety concerns and the need to make room for a future road widening.
“There were a number of fatalities and crashes that were occurring at certain stretches of that interstate," said DOT Commissioner Robby Robbins.
In 2015, DOT received a push from legislators to address accident concerns on I-26. A DOT study revealed that 57 out of 68 severe-injury or fatal accidents in 2007-11 from the Ridgeville to I-95 portion of I-26 involved hitting trees.
The ongoing tree cutting is a part of a continued response to those fatal accident concerns. According to DOT, 11 severe or fatal accidents in 2015-18 involved trees in the same area. Over 100 accidents in general also included trees.
"In conjunction with the cutting of trees, there are guardrail and cable barrier installations as secondary measures of safety," said DOT spokeswoman Lauren Roeder.
And accidents along the interstate have been a concern for some residents, especially around the speed limit changes when coming off the road.
In October, a driver coming off of I-26 at 70 mph onto Nexton Parkway led to the fatal car crash of three Summerville family members. The speed limit for I-26 is 70 mph; for Nexton Parkway it's 40 mph.
Originally, the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments was required to approve and support the I-26 tree removals when they started in 2015.
"The Council of Governments saw the safety need," Robbins said. "It was a contentious debate."
Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Bonneau, called for the council's required support in the form of a one-time proviso or a formal conditional requirement for any removal plan.
"So we requested and reviewed the data, then sat down with SCDOT and helped address specific safety problem areas in the corridor," said Daniel Brock, a spokesman for the council.
No similar proviso or requirement exists now, Brock said. So the council is not involved with any of the continued tree removing efforts.
But DOT officials note that, in addition to safety concerns, there are also plans to address traffic. Robbins said the department recently got approval for preliminary work to get I-26 widened.
I-26 has an annual average daily traffic count of around 33,000 vehicles.
“The only thing holding us back in that regard is funding," Robbins said. "So those trees are coming down regardless."
The tree cutting is scheduled to be completed on Nov. 30 of this year. Nearly 15 miles of removals are slated to take place. Officials say that the goal is to widen the interstate from Ridgeville to I-95 where the bulk of the tree cutting is happening.
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SCDOT points to road safety and traffic concerns for continued I-26 tree cutting - Charleston Post Courier
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