Huntersville resident upset over I-77 trees being removed

A longtime Huntersville resident is not happy that several trees have been cut down along Interstate 77.

Jon Ross lives just minutes from I-77 in Huntersville. Toll lane construction on the interstate has been underway since the end of 2015. Ross told WBTV that Monday he noticed many of the trees along the interstate near Exit 25 had been cut down.

“It looked like we were having a flood but instead of water, it was trees coming over the top,” said Ross.

Ross said he hasn’t been a fan of the toll lane project to begin with, and the tree issue is just making him more frustrated.

“It looks horrible. It’s like going from a beautiful ocean of trees to a desert,” said Ross.

WBTV noticed that many of trees near Exit 25 had been cut down and stacked in large piles along the interstate.

“Why do you have to take all the trees out?” questioned Ross. “There’s plenty of room for trees, so leave them in there. I don’t understand it. I just don’t understand it.”

Ross said he has other questions about the tree removal. He wonders how it is impacting his community.

“What are they gonna do about replacing all those trees and what effect does it have on Huntersville as far as health concerns?” he questioned.

WBTV reached out to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for comment on this topic after business hours Tuesday. We are still waiting on a response from them.

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Huntersville resident upset over I-77 trees being removed."