New tree surrounds in downtown Lethbridge combine accessibility, safety, beauty and cost effectiveness.
According to the City of Lethbridge, some of the older tree grates were breaking or the trees were being girdled. That’s when the base of the tree is being choked because it has grown too large for its grate. It reduces nutrient flow and can cause significant harm to a tree. Safety was also an issue. Some grates presented tripping hazards, as large tree roots had lifted them above the sidewalk.
Previous attempts to replace the grates weren’t overly successful.
“A pour-in-place rubber surfacing was installed in a few tree grates,” says Justin Schipper, Urban Revitalization administrator. “But the rubber material was only semi-permeable, didn’t remain level and the colour faded over time.”
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