WASHINGTON – Nearly 60 trees in the Great Falls area of Fairfax County will be removed because they pose a safety risk to motorists.
The trees are located in the Virginia Department of Transportation right-of-way and were flagged for being dead or in decline with multiple defects.
After a driver died on July 17 when a 40-ton decayed oak tree fell on his car on Georgetown Pike, residents spoke up. They alerted the county and VDOT to other trees that might have been unsafe.
Arborists from Fairfax County’s Urban Forestry Branch spent several days inspecting trees in Great Falls and recommended the removal of 59 trees.
The trees are located on the following roads:
- River Bend Road – 25 trees
- Browns Mill Road (west of Difficult Run) – 15 trees
- Beach Mill Road – 7 trees
- Georgetown Pike – 6 trees
- Walker Road – 4 trees
- Utterback Store Road – 2 trees
Two trees at the corner of Georgetown Pike and Walker Road, which have been the subject of recent controversy, will not be removed yet. They are not considered to be an immediate danger to the community. An arborist will inspect both trees in the coming weeks.
Tree removal will begin Aug. 13. It should take about three weeks to complete. The Washington Examiner reports the project will cost about $66,000.
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