NCDOT removes 200-year-old tree

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — North Carolina Department of Transportation crews began taking down a 200-year-old tree on the corner of Market Street and Cinema Drive this afternoon as part of the Kerr Avenue project.

DOT spokesman Brian Rick said the tree had to come down as it falls directly in the middle of a lane. Rick said the DOT considered impacts to people, property, and the environment when making their decision.

He said they are doing as much as they can to preserve the legacy of the historic tree. NCDOT’s Division Three will be donating the small branches and limbs from the trees to The Woodlot program through the Salvation Army, which delivers wood to needy families that use it for heating and cooking. Much of the larger sections of wood will be donated to the local organization Kids Making It” and to New Hanover County Schools for use in their carpentry program.

Construction on the Kerr Avenue project is scheduled to begin in late summer or early fall.