Why Did Field of Stumps Appear Near Roger Williams Park?
RIDOT cleared area near routes 1 and 10 in preparation for bridge and road work
March 10, 2025
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PROVIDENCE — When the trees within the cloverleaf near where Route 1 passes underneath Route 10 disappeared last week, some residents started to wonder why they had been clear-cut and who did it.
The field of stumps stands in stark contrast to photos on Google maps, which show a lush, miniature forest next to the on/off ramp only a few paces away from Roger Williams Park.
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation took the trees down in preparation for bridge and road work in the area, according to RIDOT spokesperson Charles St. Martin.
The bridge work is part of Rhode Island’s I-95 15, which aims to improve or remove 15 bridges in poor, nearing poor, or fair condition. The particular work near Roger Williams Park will include improvements to the Huntington Viaduct over Elmwood Avenue and Interstate 95.
Local resident Amber Ma said she had been concerned about the tree clearing because “a lot of land is at risk in Rhode Island,” so she tries to keep an eye out for when habitat and wildlife might be in danger.
Although she acknowledged that the clearing was necessary for the bridge and road project, she wondered out loud, “Could we be more thoughtful?” Did such thorough clear-cutting have to happen, she asked, admitting she didn’t know the answer.
“I get it,” Daria Brashear, a Cranston resident who bikes through the area frequently, said, “but they definitely took a lot of trees, a lot more than you would have hoped knowing what the project looked like.”
Ultimately, the landscaping will be replaced and other improvements made to the area, according to St. Martin, including planting trees.
The end result “removes 1.5 acres of impervious surface and prioritizes nature-based stormwater solutions,” he wrote in an email to ecoRI News. He noted the work will help increase resilience in what is a flood-prone area of I-95.
Plans for the viaduct and road work also show bike infrastructure that will connect to the park.
STill wish they could have left some of the trees or at least made the case to the community before removal.
Ugh. More loss of an eco system the automobile, and a tiny bike allowance.
What a strange and unthoughtful choice… I guess full-grown trees with deep roots aren’t considered “nature-based stormwater solutions.” They absolutely are, though! Do yourselves a favor and look up “How trees prevent floods.” Additionally, those trees were likely homes/shelters/food sources for birds and other wildlife as well. Similar clear-cutting just happened off the I-95 exits to Warwick.
It’s horrible to look out my windows and see all that remains are stumps. There is a lot on the other side of that median with dying trees and trees that were cut down with dry branches posing a fire hazzard. Please consider what trees you replant. There is one behind my house that grew so big, I no longer get sun in my yard or house. I can no longer grow a garden. The roots dug up the fence between my house and route 10. It also has great big thorns in the branches that fall in my yard. Why didn’t you take that one down? This project will probably never be completed when all federal funding to RI drys up.
I hope the author.od the story pursues that they were lied to about the whole thing as the contractor DIDN’T HAVE PERMISSION https://www.abc6.com/ridot-says-contractors-cut-down-grove-of-trees-in-providence-without-permission/
What used to be a pleasant little forest on my way from Elmwood Ave to Route 10 now looks like an ugly war zone. The photo you show is selected carefully to avoid most of the destruction. Yes, it was home to birds and other animals. There was even a structure built among the trees made of branches, much like a log cabin – housing who? I don’t know, but I’m sad for the poor person who did all that work. At my age, I’ll probably not live to see beautiful mature trees there again.
I can’t believe that the removal of these magnificent trees was a mistake. I live right where this devastation occurred, and now the area feels desolate and depressing. Those responsible should face heavy fines. Additionally, they need to address the trees at the corner of McKinley and Stamford Avenue. Many of these trees are either dead or encroaching on residents’ property. The dead branches pose a fire hazard, and the size of the trees is blocking beautiful sunlight.