SCDOT says tree removal increased I-385 safety

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Department of Transportation says removing trees from part of Interstate 385 has reduced the number of crashes and deaths along a stretch of the highway in Laurens County.

The DOT told The Greenville News (http://grnol.co/1bi1eZM ) that trees were removed within 50 feet of the pavement when the highway was rebuilt several years ago.

In the five years before the project, the agency says there was an average of about 12 crashes each year where drivers hit trees and six deaths. In the three years since the trees were removed, there have been an average of three crashes into trees each year and no deaths.

The DOT is trying to cut down trees in a 30-mile stretch of the median of Interstate 26 near Charleston.

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Information from: The Greenville News, http://www.greenvillenews.com