State to plant new trees along new US 31 route

KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) - The Indiana Department of Transportation has agreed to plant nearly 300 trees along the new U.S. 31 bypass in Kokomo.

The trees will replace others that were removed during the construction.

Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight says hundreds of mature trees were cut down, leaving an empty landscape along the road. He says that left the area looking barren.

Goodnight says the state has installed landscaping following road construction in other communities.

The new U.S. 31 bypass around Kokomo’s east side opened in November.

The bypass about 40 miles north of Indianapolis is part of a $1.2 billion reconstruction project for U.S. 31 linking Indianapolis and South Bend.