Road-side Tree Work &
Traffic Management
Tree pruning and removal work often needs to be carried out on road-side trees. Road-side trees can present an enhanced hazard due to their location. Due to the potential harm of falling branches or failed trees next to a public highway and the associated liabilities for tree owners, the threshold for whether or not work is required may be lower than usual.
There are also specific tolerances under which roadside trees must be maintained. Tree owners are required to maintain minimum safe clearances of 5.2m above ground level over highways, 2.4m above footpaths and 3m above cycle paths and bridleways. Where tree branches hang lower than these specified heights, the local highway authority may, under the Highways Act 1980, s154, serve 14 days notice to the owner to carry out the work. Where the work is not undertaken within this period, the authority may undertake the work themselves and recover the costs from the tree owner.
Undertaking remedial work or tree removal in roadside locations is potentially dangerous and requires specialist knowledge and expertise. Arborglyph Tree Services have successfully undertaken numerous roadside projects including the dismantling of damaged or diseased trees and the pruning of overhanging branches in line with highway specifications.
The images above show the removal of a roadside ash which unfortunately had ash die-back (caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) and shaggy bracket fungus (Innonotus hispidus), making it a potential hazard through limb failure. The location was on a transition from a 30mph to a 40mph zone and had the additional complication of a live 11kv power line beneath the tree.
In these situations, we work in partnership with road traffic management specialists in order to secure the requisite safe working permits and implement appropriate management methods. In this and many cases it involves the closure of a single lane using signage and traffic lights. In the above case we also arranged the temporary shut down of the power cable with the local power network in order to carry out the work safely.
Arborglyph Tree Services can provide a full package of work from initial site assessment to design and implementation. If you have concerns over a roadside tree in your ownership or that your trees are in breach of the highway specifications, call us to discuss.