Workers from K2 Construction Group have removed dozens of trees from the steep slopes along Route 44 in Norfolk as part of the project to replace deteriorated retaining walls. The Italian-made machine has a boom that extends nearly 100 feet in the air. It is equipped with a saw, grabbers capable of lowering the entire crown of a tree to the ground and is controlled by a highly skilled operator who sits in an enclosed cab. 

Amy Hare, a project engineer for the state Department of Transportation, said further clearing activities will occur over the next six to eight weeks, along with the relocation of the sewer line. That work will be overseen by the Norfolk Sewer District. Hare said drivers should expect daily one-way lane shifts, which are being managed with warning signs and flaggers.