Drivers along State Route 80, Interstate 680, and State Route 11 may notice that what used to be wooded acres between the intersecting roads has been nearly clear-cut of trees.

21 News contacted the Ohio Department of Transportation to see why the trees are being removed. 

Ray Marsch, the public information officer for District 4, says it is a tree removal project to improve drainage along the roadways at this intersection.

Marsch said removing the trees will help increase the amount of sunlight reaching the nearby roadways to dry more efficiently, especially during winter months, and will reduce the risk of trees or limbs falling onto the highway.

The work began in mid-January and will continue through early April.