Road widening in Northbridge to cost 61 trees

Sutton Street, pock-marked with cracked pavement and potholes, is slated for a major road reconstruction and widening project later this year that will require 61 public shade trees, both big and small, to be removed from the 2.1-mile stretch.

The trees to be removed from the well-traveled road between Sutton and Northbridge range in diameter from 4 inches to 60 inches and include maple, oak, ash, elm, pine and hickory trees. Many of the trees are on Sutton Street, or on intersecting streets.

Each is marked with a white sheet of paper that denotes it as destined for removal, and lists the other trees.

Most are on the side of the road, but a few are higher up on residential property and need to be removed for grading purposes. Those on residential property will be replaced when the project is completed, said James Shuris, director of the Department of Public Works.

A public hearing on the tree removal was held at Town Hall yesterday afternoon, and no homeowners attended.

The Sutton Street project has been in the works since 1998, and the nearly $8 million in project funds will be paid for through state and federal money. The project is on the 2013 Transportation Improvement Program for the Central Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization. The project, slated to be executed this summer, includes widening, repairing, installing new drainage, and reconstructing and extending sidewalks from the Sutton line to the intersection of Route 122.

A sidewalk will be installed on one side of the road from Providence Street to Hill Street. It will have granite curbing and be accessible to disabled. The project has also required donations of land or easements in order to make a smooth joining of driveways to the street.

As part of the project, Mr. Shuris has been doing an intensive outreach program, sending letters to the residents, knocking on doors, and meeting with Sutton Street residents in their homes.

“This is a good project,” Mr. Shuris said.