Heavy equipment destroyed dozens of healthy trees this week at the construction site for a downtown Dallas park.
The park is being built on a deck over the Woodall Rodgers Freeway.
To make way for the construction, workers this week removed 73 trees that had been growing beside the freeway since it was built in the early 80s.
Visitors in the Dallas Arts District beside the road Friday found the tree removal surprising.
“Austin saves all their trees,” said Judy Blake, who was visiting from the city. ”I think it would be best if they could somehow preserve them.”
Cory Fagen from McKinney agreed.
“It seems to go against what they’re trying to do, create a park by removing trees,” he said.
Their concerns are noted, said Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson Cynthia Northrop White.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“We certainly understand that concern and I can tell you every consideration was given,” Northrop White said.
The existing trees had to be moved for work that is required beneath them to construct the park deck over the freeway. Northrop White said buying new trees later is cheaper than trying to save the trees that were in the ground.
“It would be really a high expenditure to move the trees, to store the trees, to irrigate the trees. And there’s not a guarantee on them,” Northrop White said.
New trees purchased for nurseries would be guaranteed, she explained.
“There’s going to be over 300 trees, there’s over 3000 assorted plants, over 900 bushes, shrubs, of course five acres of green space, and it’s going to be a beautiful addition to the downtown area,” the DOT spokeswoman said.
Deck construction is scheduled to last two years. More work will be required after that to complete park amenities on the deck.
