SLC to tear out 40 trees along a major road. But it will plant 250 more — and feed the new trees with waterlines.

Planting trees will be a major part of road work these next two summers on a key east-west connector road in Salt Lake City.

As significant reconstruction gets underway on 600 North-700 North between Redwood Road and 800 West, existing trees have been marked for protection or removal with the corridor’s wide park strips set for a makeover.

Last week, red and green plastic strips tied to tree trunks fluttered in the wind. Some woody giants stood along the stretch behind temporary chain-link fencing, with signs attached reminding construction workers to keep the trees protected.

Crews are scheduled remove about 40 trees along the corridor, while retaining another 80 and planting 250 more as City Hall keeps its eye on adding to the west side’s lacking leafy cover.

“We saw the park strips as a real opportunity,” city transportation engineer Kyle Cook said, “to build in some amenities, as well as build up the tree canopy.”

The tree planting is unique, though, because bids for the full road project came in under what Cook’s team was expecting. So, the city will provide irrigation for the new trees instead of leaving it to next-door residents to water them.

Aside from the foliage, the city is adding a median and extended curbs to the road in hopes of limiting dangerous driving on a street that’s seen about 140 crashes, at least two fatal, over the past six years.

Pedestrians and bikers will notice other improvements, such as off-street bike lanes, crosswalks with flashing lights and dual park strips hosting all the new trees.

Right now, about 120 trees line the street. Most of the ones on the chopping block seem to be younger and unhealthier than the stately older trees now being extended protection.

The corridor’s wide park strips are generally poorly maintained. But Cook hopes the city-provided water will improve the street’s appeal to walkers and others passing through.

“This basically is an opportunity for the city to help provide a boost to those park strips,” Cook said.

Construction crews have been directed to not get too close to the older trees and chain-link fencing will keep workers away from their delicate root structures.

The planned bike paths, on both sides of the street, are set to wind around the trees that are being kept.

The 250 new saplings will fill dual park strips, one between the curb and the bike path and another between the path and the sidewalk, in an off-street design that is similar to parts of the city’s 9 Line trail.

Construction on the major thoroughfare, which won’t see any lane reductions, is starting after a contentious session on Utah’s Capitol Hill in which lawmakers gave state transportation officials veto power over some traffic-calming projects on key roads in the capital city.

Mayor Erin Mendenhall has said that residents ask for investments in slowing traffic along city streets more than anything else.

West-side residents can expect the work on 600 North and 700 North — as well as traffic delays during special events and peak commute times — to continue through this construction season and next.