The Johnson County Highway Department has closed Airport Road between State Road 252 and County Road 200 South due to a leaning tree in the 3500 block of Airport Road.
The leaning tree is deemed a safety hazard, highway director Luke Mastin said in a statement. The department reached out to an arborist to examine the tree after a citizen complained that it looks rotted, Mastin said.
The final inspection report is not back yet, but the arborist’s initial inspection suggested the tree has significant enough decay to merit a road closure.
“The base of the tree has experienced significant interior rot, and it is only a matter of time before it will no longer be able to support itself,” Mastin said.
The tree is not yet scheduled for removal, but it is on the Johnson County Board of Commissioners’ meeting agenda today. That meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m.
“Unfortunately, based on the information available to us at this time, it appears that the decision for removal has now shifted from “if” to “when.” Even if it is determined that it is safe to reopen the road for the time being with the tree remaining in place, there will eventually come a time when the tree will need to come down before it ultimately falls in front of or onto a vehicle traveling on the road,” Mastin said.
To avoid the closure, drivers may use County Road 300 South, Nineveh Road (County Road 100 East) and State Road 252 to detour around the closure. The road will be closed for an undetermined period of time, the news release said.
