Four poplar trees damaged from the wind, hail and rain storms on July 20 will be cut down on 39th Street, between Davison Drive to Douglas Avenue, today.
Work has already started and the street will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Drivers can use Dowler Street as an alternate route.
“We did pretty good considering how bad the winds were on that Saturday night.
“Those trees are really exposed,” said Elaine Johnson, urban forester and lead arborist with the City of Red Deer, on Monday.
Two of the four trees were damaged beyond repair and are leaning towards the road, she said.
The poplars, about 18 metres tall, line the north side of the street between Davison and Douglas.
The Deer Park trees were planted in the early 1980s.
The trees are being removed as a precaution.
The city also cleared away residential trees at about six spots in the city when they fell on roadways.
Johnson cautioned residents to be careful of overhead lines when trying to remove damaged trees.
“Working on trees can be really dangerous. Sometimes they take on more then they’re qualified for.”
Hire a qualified tree removal service if necessary that has proper insurance, including WCB coverage, she said.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com