Road Crews Begin Removing Trees From I-20 Exits in South Carolina

Highway workers are starting a two-week project to clear trees and vegetation that can block visibility at three Interstate 20 interchanges in the Midlands.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation said crews will begin the “Vegetation Control for Safety” program Tuesday.

Crews will cut down trees at I-20’s exits with U.S. 1 near Lexington and Interstate 26 and South Carolina Highway 215 near Columbia. The DOT says 834 crashes happened at those three interchanges from 2007 to mid-2010, with six fatalities and more than 250 injuries.

Transportation officials say the trees are blocking visibility at the exits and also can cause deaths when vehicles slam into them. Officials say only 6 percent of interstate crashes involve trees, but those crashes account for a third of all injuries and deaths.