Downtown Moses Lake trees to be replaced

MOSES LAKE - The downtown Moses Lake trees will be getting their roots lifted in late October.

Planted in the late 1980s, the 27 Honey Locust trees planted across downtown Moses Lake will be replaced with European Hornbeams.

The Moses Lake City Council approved the $118,727 project during the last city council.

The project will be paid from the 2010 street fund, according to project engineer Jeffrey Holm.

The current tree roots are lifting the pavement and becoming a sidewalk hazard, said city Municipal Services Manager Gary Harer.

"All cities have this problem every 15 years or so. They need to replace their downtown trees because the trees get bigger and start destroying the concrete," said Harer.

In addition to replacing the trees, the project will install a van-accessible stall with a curb ramp on Third Avenue and South Alder Street, said Holm.

Holm said the project has been in development since July.

"We want to finish up the project in 2010, but the project may need to go into early 2011," said Holm.

The city currently has a mixture of Honey Locust and European Hornbeams, which were planted downtown in 2000. The project will allow the city to completely change all the trees.

The roots on European Hornbeams do not expand as much as Honey Locusts, said Moses Lake city engineer Shawn O'Brien.

"Because the Honey Locusts were left in place for so long, we started to have problems with their branches getting too big and their leaves getting all over the sidewalks," said O'Brien.

European Hornbeams can reach up to 50 feet in size. The trees are slender shaped and typically used for sun shade.

"During this project, we will try to have as a little disruption for pedestrians and businesses as possible," said Holm.

Advanced Excavation, Inc. won the bid for the tree replacement project.