This summer, the Town of Blacksburg will begin Phase One of the Harding Avenue Sewer Replacement Project.
This project will replace existing 60-year-old sewer lines that have reached capacity and are near the end of their useful life.
Prior to construction, the Bartlett Tree company will remove a Pin Oak tree adjacent to the Bottom of the Stairs restaurant on College Avenue, an area that will benefit from the sewer replacement project. Four additional trees located in the landscape median of the Squires parking lot will also be removed.
The base of the Pin Oak is approximately five feet from a manhole that will be replaced during the sewer replacement project. Town staff, in collaboration with the Virginia Tech Arborist, determined that the tree roots would need to be cut on one side, rendering it hazardous and vulnerable to strong winds. Due to numerous underground utilities in the area, there are no practical alternatives but to remove the tree and replace it with another shade tree in a nearby location. The replacement shade tree will be selected in consultation with the Virginia Tech Arborist to complement the surrounding landscape and restore natural shade to the area.
Removal of the Pin Oak will take place between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 19. The four trees in the Squires Parking lot will be removed on March 20 between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
For additional information, please contact: Engineering Field Supervisor, Doug Shaver at 540.443.1359 or Town Engineer, Shawn Veltman at 540.443.1352.
Town of Blacksburg
