Tree Preservation Initiatives

The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) sometimes aligns roads through forested land to provide the motoring public with a safe road system.

During the design stage of every highway project, MDOT SHA planners pay careful attention to limiting the environmental impact. Every effort is made to replace impacted areas with plantings to speed an "environmental healing" that returns the area to a sound ecological status.

During design, planners try to save trees considered "specimen" or "significant." Several times, road alignments have been shifted to avoid such trees. Retaining walls and special root pruning techniques are used to protect the roots of large trees.

We give these trees special consideration as part of our continued environmental sensitivity in design and construction.

Learn more about MDOT SHA tree preservation initiatives in:

​​