November is canopy clearing season for W.Va. Division of Highways
Nov. 21—CHARLESTON — November is a time where many West Virginians long for summerlike days while possibly fretting that winter is on its way but it also presents the opportune time for the West Virginia Division of Highways to cut back some of the overgrowth on the state's roads.
It's the process of canopy clearing where work crews cut branches and brush that overhang the Mountain State's roadways. It's a necessary measure designed to prolong the life of the state's 36,000 miles of paved roads.
"Water is a highway's worst enemy," WVDOH Chief Engineer of District Operations Joe Pack said. "Anything we can do to keep water off our roadways or to help dry up that water will prolong the life of that road."
The longer moisture stays atop pavement it degrades the asphalt, so maintenance crews cut away limbs and branches to allow sunlight to get to the roadways below.
Marion County is one of the state's targeted area because it is considered "heavily forested." That means crews are diligent about keeping limbs and branches cut above the roadways to keep roads dry and for the safety of motorists.
"There are a lot of trees in Marion County," WVDOH District 4 Engineer Mike Daley said. "What we're trying to do is open up the canopy so the sun can get in to expedite the melting process in the wintertime and dry the road up."
Like cutting grass in the summer, milling and filling potholes or clearing ice and snow, canopy clearing is part of WVDOH's primary maintenance program. Combined, core maintenance procedures prolong the life of pavement and keep roads safer.
By law, maintenance crews are only allowed to clear canopy between Nov. 15 and March 31. The restriction is in place to protect endangered bat populations, which don't typically use trees during those months.
November is also snow removal and ice control season for WVDOH, so a worker may be in a snow plow one day and in a bucket truck the next. Daley said crews of six to eight people are regularly on canopy cutting duties in Marion and surrounding counties.
Maintenance crews use bucket trucks, chainsaws, pole saws and chippers to clear away branches and limbs and grind them up. Bucket trucks can reach up to 40 feet, but maintenance crews have pole saws that are up to 175 feet long for reaching the highest branches.
In the past, the WVDOH was restricted to cutting a total of 140 acres of canopy a year, or 14 acres for each of the state's 10 highway districts. That restriction was lifted this year, allowing districts to cut more trees in between the winter snows.
Daley said the WVDOH hopes to clear 500 acres of canopy statewide this season, or 50 acres for each of the state's 10 highway districts.
