Crews Begin Removing Trees Deemed Safety Hazards in Downtown Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill officials began removing a series of downtown trees on Wednesday after they were deemed unsafe due to safety concerns.

Removal began Wednesday for a tree in front on Graham Memorial Hall on the UNC campus. The removal caused one eastbound lane of Franklin Street traffic.

Crews will work to remove a tree at 304 East Franklin Street in front of Chapel of the Cross Church next week before moving to take out the tree near Pickard Lane the following week.

In mid-March, work will begin on West Cameron Avenue near Pittsboro Street before the final tree is scheduled for removal in late March at 303 North Boundary Street near North Street.

All of this work is expected to cause lane reductions.

Officials said in a release that the town’s arborist “has been closely monitoring these trees and has found that their health will not improve, posing a potential hazard to people in the area if they aren’t removed.”

Replacement trees that are native to North Carolina will be planted in the fall.