Some people who live and work along a Unicoi County road say it's only a matter of time before old trees topple - snapping phone, cable, and internet lines.
They’re worried that will cut service to customers, or worse - injure or kill a driver below.
A viewer contacted us concerned about a stretch of road along Unicoi Drive.
That viewer is worried about branches hanging over century link's communications lines and an actual dead tree resting on one cable.
He wanted to know if anything will be done about the problem before the first winter storm.
"There was branches when I came to work yesterday, from the wind," said Patty Bryant who travels on Unicoi Drive every day. "When I left from work yesterday, it was terrible, I mean there were branches everywhere."
She works across the street from these phone, cable, and internet lines.
Bryant says the trees that hang above the lines have remained a problem for years.
"The limbs fall off and when it rains and when it storms and when it snows,” she says, “they're going to fall and somebody's going to be hurt or killed."
"We have a three to five-year plan where we come through and clear areas that are grown up with trees," says Marchelo Maynor. His crew last cleaned up the trees along this road two years ago. He works for Century Link – the company in charge of maintaining the lines.
According to Maynor, Unicoi Drive is not due for maintenance for another year.
But, he agrees this tree need immediate attention.
"What we'll be doing is cutting this tree down and getting it off the cable line," he said. “It's not causing a service issue, but it is something we want to address, because it could potentially cause a service issue in the future."
As for the remaining limbs and branches, he says they don't pose a risk to Century Link's service. Bryant argues the trees do pose a risk to drivers.
Century link says it's up to the property owners who live along this road to address that issue. The trees in question border several farms along Unicoi drive.
As for electrify, Elizabethton Electric System supplies power to this area. But, the majority of the electric company's lines sit on the opposite side of the road...meaning, barring a major storm, power lines should not be affected by the trees.
If you see a downed tree on a century link line, you're asked to call the company's repair line.
That number for people around Johnson City is (423) 282-7400.
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