Government

Compromise reached on I-26 tree-cutting project

by Nikki Gaskins Campbell

I-26 near Jedburg
I-26 near Jedburg

On Monday morning, Senator Larry Grooms of Berkeley County confirmed that the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester-Council of Governments approved a compromise plan that would save 17 miles of trees along the I-26 median between Summerville and I-95.

This move was only a slight victory for environmentalists who want all the trees to stay.

“If BCDCOG approves a plan to clear the trees, a large number of fatal accidents may continue to occur, unintended consequences may arise such as headlights and sun blinding drivers, the flora and fauna in the median will be destroyed, and the unique treed gateway into the Lowcountry will be lost forever,” members have stated on their official website.

According to Grooms who lives in Bonneau, certain sections of the 24 mile median between Jedberg and Interstate 95 will have some trees removed in the areas where the highest concentration of serious accidents and fatalities have occurred.

“We should have never been asked to choose between safety and beauty. Today’s vote ensures that will have both. Our community deserves no less,” Grooms stated.

The original plan would have cost approximately $5.3 million and called for clearing 23 miles of the 30-mile stretch of I-26 in Berkeley and Dorchester Counties and placing guardrails on the remaining few miles.

Bryan Crabtree discussed the issue on his show Monday explaining why he personally thinks it’s a bad idea.

“Imagine you had cancer, and you had to cut out part of it. I’m going to cut out the worst part of the cancer—and I’m just going to leave a little bit there. That’s sort of what we’re talking about here,” stated Crabtree. “These trees along I-26 are as deadly as cancer, and we’re not going to cut out all the cancer. We’re just going to cut out part of it—the part we think is the worst.”

Officials say there were two thousands crashes and 44 deaths between mile markers199 and 170 over a five-year period.

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The Bryan Crabtree Show airs from  8-10 a.m. on WQSC 1340 and 950 AM.  You can visit the show’s website by clicking here.  You can also catch Rocky D on the same airwaves from 3-6 p.m.
Nikki Gaskins Campbell
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