Clearing trees for safety

ITD Distrtict 2 crews started clearing trees Wednesday (March 4) along Idaho Highway 162 near Kamiah to improve safety for drivers — and for themselves. The trees are considered hazardous, since they are close enough to the road to topple onto a passing vehicle, and they also shade stretches of highway, keeping the sunlight out that would otherwise melt the icy or snowy sections. Trees near the side of the road can also hide animals that may jump out into a vehicle's path.

Maintenance crews will gradually remove trees that appear to be dead or dying within this road section.

This particular section lost several trees during a storm in early February that left one ITD operator injured after a tree fell onto his plow truck as he stood next to it (see picture above). That employee, while initially released from the hospital after the incident, is still recovering at home.

“Recent events remind us of the dangers of dead trees close to the road,” Foreman Lee Linabary said. “This is one of several sections of highway that has been on the list for brushing activities ever since the 2015 fire near Kamiah.”

An estimated 30 trees will be removed in the initial area, but drivers should expect more trees with the potential to fall onto highways during storms to be cleared along several more miles of ID-162 near Kamiah and ID-62 near Craigmont this summer.

Published 03-06-20