USEFUL LINKS

Growing oak trees in a median may beautify a roadway, but the Cobb County Department of Transportation has decided some oaks in a high-accident area of East Piedmont Road can do more harm than good.

Oaks in the median on this portion of East Piedmont Road, between Morgan and Shaw roads, have been removed for safety reasons.

Oak trees planted about 12 years ago after a widening of East Piedmont were removed the week of Feb, 22, 2010, from Rio Montana Drive to Shaw Road, because of the high number of accidents in that area, especially on a curved section in that corridor. The oak trees were considered an allowable planting at the time they were placed in the median. Now that the trees have grown larger, they will not breakaway when hit by vehicles, which can create injuries during a crash.

"Cutting down the trees is part of a safety enhancement project," said Cobb DOT Division Manager David Montanye. "We have been reviewing crash histories around the county, and the area where we removed trees between Rio Montana Drive and Shaw Road has been identified as a high-accident area."

Montanye said the part of the roadway where the trees were removed had 31 accidents identified in a three-year study, which has led to a complete new plan for that area of East Piedmont.

"The trees are gone, and we are following up by adding guard rail in that area," Montanye said. "Large signs indicating a curve have already been installed. After the guard rail is completed, we'll put plantings back in that are now allowed in medians."

Plantings that grow no larger than a four-inch calliper, according to a DOT allowable plantings guide. The smaller size allows plants to "forgive" if hit by a vehicle. Crepe Myrtles will be included to replace the removed oak tress on East Piedmont Road.

MOntanye said the oak trees were removed internally by Cobb DOT, with the assistance of inmates from the Cobb County Corrections Department. No SPLOST dollars were used on the project.