Caltrans set to remove dead trees along Highway 1 Thursday

If you encounter any delays on Highway 1 Thursday, you can probably blame it on the drought.
Years and years of dry weather has taken a toll on millions of trees in the state and Caltrans says it’s important to get those dead trees removed.

On Thursday they’ll be removing monterey pines north of Flanders Drive along Highway 1 in Carmel. These trees that are flagged to be removed are either dying, dead, or at risk of falling on to the roadway. According to the U.S. Forest Service, an estimated 12 million trees across California have died because of extreme drought conditions.

“Typically when we do tree removal it’s for public safety. We don’t want to have a situation where a tree falls on to the roadway, which could potentially injure a traveling motorist,” said Caltrans PIO Jim Shivers.

Caltrans has a tree supervisor who identifies trees that need to be trimmed or removed. The right lane north or Flanders will be closed from 9:30AM-2:00PM or as long as crews are out there working. Make sure to give them plenty of room.

The CHP will be assisting with traffic control.