The initial part of the Park Lane project by the city of Kirkland is underway.

Last week construction crews put up fences blocking off the street. The sidewalk concrete has been smashed and then repaved temporarily to provide access to the local businesses.

Christian Knight, neighborhood services coordinator for the city of Kirkland, said the plan is to have the road reopen in late April or early May, as construction plans are for roughly three months of work, but this is very much contingent on weather conditions. They have also removed the trees, some of which they plan to replant once the construction is completed.

Once the current work is finished, crews will replace the water-main, which will require them to dig a trench through the road. The replacement process is expected to take a month, according to Knight.

Although the project is in its early stages, Knight said they have received feedback from residents concerned about the tree removal, which occurred in December in anticipation of construction work. Knight said they retained 11 of the trees from Park Lane, including a red oak by the western gateway and a maple tree on the other side of the street. They also plan to add 37 more trees once the project is finished.

Knight said removing them allows the city to correct some problems that resulted when the trees were originally planted.

“Back in the day when those original trees were planted the methods that were used to plant them did not ensure long term tree health when the trees were immersed in buckets,” he said.

This, and other elements, caused the trees’ roots to grow upward and buckle the sidewalk, negatively impacting walkability and creating tripping hazards in the concrete. The tree canopies also caused shedding problems, Knight said.

The new trees will be smaller, 35 feet, compared to some of the former trees, that stood at 65 feet. The new trees will be planted in a manner that allows their roots to grow downward and not impact the sidewalk, Knight said.

“The canopies will be appropriate for the street, allow more sunlight, be able to use festival lights,” Knight said. “It will be a chance to get it right.”

“The goal is to make it more walkable for people who are visually impaired or use wheelchairs,” Knight said. “And by replacing the trees it allows us to reconfigure the amount of walkable space. It didn’t help that the trees were aged and diseased and not in great health.”

Park Lane’s design was approved by the Kirkland City Council in September. It is designed to act as a plaza-style street with a red and beige brick paver surface.