(September 12, 2013) – Travelers along Arundel Expressway will see off-road activity by Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) contractor crews beginning next week.  SHA will clear invasive trees and vines along six miles of MD 10 (Arundel Expressway) between I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) and MD 177 (Mountain Road) in Anne Arundel County.  The nearly $500,000 project will be periodically active through spring 2015 for clearing and replanting at appropriate times, weather permitting.

 

SHA will focus on removing non-native trees such as Callery Pear and Ailanthus (Tree-of Heaven) and vines like Oriental Bittersweet and Porcelain Berry that cause problems with sight distance, drainage, strangle native plants and impact effectiveness of wetlands. To passersby, it may look like “pretty” trees and shrubs are being removed since many of the invasive plants have colorful flowers.

 

“As the largest land owner in the state, SHA has the responsibility, and in some cases is required by law, to remove invasive plants and trees for safety and to protect the environment,” said SHA Administrator Melinda B. Peters. “Unfortunately, many of the unwanted trees and plants look pretty and when removed, the areas may seem stark. After the invasive plants die off, crews will install native species during the appropriate planting season.”

 

SHA is managing similar projects along more than a dozen corridors across the state. The roadside vegetation management projects involve removing a variety of invasive plants including Black Locust and Callery Pear trees, often mistaken for dogwoods. If left unmanaged, invasive vines, brush and trees create safety issues by impeding sight distance and travel lanes from falling limbs or trees due to weak root systems and branches. Many areas will be re-planted with hearty, native species while others will be left free of invasive species to enable native plants to naturally flourish and spread.

 

“Invasive plants do not provide the kinds of habitat and food that native birds and other wildlife need to survive,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Biologist Jonathan McKnight. “Uncontrolled invasive plant populations on highway corridors act as a constant source of infestation and wreak havoc upon natural areas. Controlling noxious vegetation will certainly encourage native plants to prosper.”

 

SHA’s contractor for the project is Ed’s Plant World of Waldorf.  To learn more about invasive species in Maryland and SHA’s efforts of control, click here.

 

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