In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he is considering a “substantial” vegetation removal program along major highways to increase safety and better protect the state’s electric delivery systems during major storms.
“We have to take a serious look at our policy with respect to vegetation,” Malloy told the Hartford Business Journal in a recent interview.
While the full details of a potential plan haven’t been hashed out, it could entail removing trees along major transportation arteries, Malloy said.
The move is being considered in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, whose high winds and heavy rains wreaked havoc in Connecticut causing tens of millions of dollars in damage and hundreds of thousands of power outages for residents and businesses.
Downed trees played a major role in the power outages and blockage of major roadways.
In fact, during the peak of the storm, Malloy ordered the closure of the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways and urged drivers to stay off of Interstate 95 because of concerns about downed trees and branches.
It’s a particularly acute problem in Connecticut, a small, tightly packed state with lots of vegetation. Add in the mostly above-ground electrical transmission system, and the state is primed for the type of problems that ensued in the aftermath of Irene.
Malloy said the storm caused extensive damage to major roadways including Rt. 72. But he said the storm shouldn’t have a huge negative effect on the state’s economy.
While Irene did lead to higher than usual absenteeism in the workplace, damaged property, business closings and crop loss, it will also spur repair and construction work, Malloy said.
“In the long term, it will probably be evened out,” Malloy said.