Amidst Bridge Construction, Pieces of Nature Are Saved

The City of La Grange hopes to save five of the crepe myrtles that used to line the road to the boat ramp. City crews dug up the trees and transplanted them in the New La Grange Cemetery on Friday, Nov. 20.

Dozens of old crepe myrtles that used the line the boat ramp road had to be removed last month to make way for construction of the new bridge on Business 71 across the Colorado River. The State of Texas owns the highway right-of-way. The City of La Grange maintains the area on the east bank, downriver side of the bridge as Buffalo Trail Park (although it will be closed for the next 18 months during bridge construction). Several in the community

Several in the community expressed regret when news broke back in October that the trees were slated for removal. Afterwards, the City stepped in to save a few of the trees.

“It’s state property, and we’re just trying to help,” said City Manager Shawn Raborn.

Mike Urban, who runs cemetery and parks maintenance for the City, headed up the tree moving operation.

“We dug up a pretty good amount of the root system,” Urban said. “We had to trim them back to get them through town, because they were pretty tall once we set them up on a trailer.”

“Crepe myrtles are a pretty hardy tree,” Urban added. “They don’t have a lot of foliage on them right now, but they didn’t have a whole lot when they were down there (at the boat ramp), as dry as its been. But we got them planted and watered them in real good. Now all we have to do is say our prayers and hope they survive.”

Urban and his crew planted them on the road from Eblin Street that borders the empty cemetery lot south of the gazebo.

“We’re starting to transition into that area (with burials), so we figured it would be fitting to start planting things over there,” he said.