City Manager, David Milliron recently responded to questions regarding several Bradford Pears being removed from the median of Hwy 61. Here is his full response, “A contractor for the Georgia Department of Transportation removed the Bradford Pears from the state’s right-of-way and the goal is to eventually beautify the gateways to the city with Crepe Myrtles. Bradford Pears, though beautiful, are short-lived and a safety hazard to motorists because they tend to split and break. The Bradford pear tree is sensitive to leaf scorch and fire blight, but branch splitting remains the biggest problem. They are top heavy and have a v-shaped crotch, which makes them prone to splitting and thus a danger to motorists. It’s not uncommon for the Bradford pear tree to split in half, especially during severe weather. See http://www.caes.uga.edu/newswire/story.html?storyid=5419”
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