The cedar hedge is gone from the space between Canada Avenue and the Friendship Trail to make way for new and improved landscaping.
The City of Duncan's project began last Thursday as Island Irrigation and Landscaping started removing the hedge along Canada Avenue between First and Beverly streets. The hedge was gone within a couple of days, with new trees and plants set to take its place.
"The Canada Avenue landscaping plan will provide Canada Avenue with a stronger identity and improved esthetics," the City of Duncan stated in a press release.
South of James Street, the hedge will be replaced by red oak trees that will, once they reach maturity, provide a canopy along the entire block. North of James Street, because of overhead utilities, smaller white dogwood trees will be planted.
Ground cover will consist of drought-tolerant plants such as lavender and varieties of grasses that will fill the space between the trees and provide a physical barrier between the trail and the roadway, while also improving safety and visibility.
"The goal of the project is to address safety concerns that have been expressed over the years about the hedge blocking visibility and to increase the overall tree canopy coverage of the city, which is a goal of the city's Urban Forest Strategy," the city's said.