Central Square tree removals to start Thursday as downtown work advances

The project will also restore elms to Central Square nearly seven decades after the city cut down the last ones there.

Keene crews are preparing to clear 18 trees in and around Central Square by the end of the week as part of the city’s $28 million downtown infrastructure project, Public Works Director Don Lussier said.

The work is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Thursday, with contractors expected to continue on Friday. Lussier said the first day will center on the east side of the square and involve some of the smaller trees, while Friday’s effort will shift to the north side, where larger trees are expected to come down with the help of a crane. Central Square will remain open to traffic during the removal, he said.

Of the trees being taken out, 15 are mature trees and three will be moved and replanted near the city’s public works facility on Marlboro Street. Trees marked with pink ribbons are set for removal, while blue ribbons identify those scheduled for transplanting.

The removals are tied to the first stage of a three-year downtown overhaul that began last month. That phase focuses on Central Square and includes pipe replacement, drainage improvements, new traffic signals, protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks and the addition of 24 trees, among them six elms.

The project will also restore elms to Central Square nearly seven decades after the city cut down the last ones there.