Photos: INDOT tree cutting underway along Pete Ellis Drive after agreement with Bloomington

Staff report

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – March 24, 2026

Stumps from what appeared to be seven cut trees lined Pete Ellis Drive on Tuesday, after the City of Bloomington said an agreement with INDOT had reduced the number of mature oaks slated for removal along the corridor to seven.

According to a city news release issued March 18, Bloomington and INDOT reached a preliminary agreement that reduced the number of mature oak trees expected to be removed along East 10th Street near Pete Ellis Drive from as many as 15 to seven. The city said that change would preserve eight mature oaks along Pete Ellis Drive while allowing intersection improvements and added travel lanes on State Road 45 to move forward.

Photos made Tuesday showed stumps along Pete Ellis Drive where trees had already been removed. Some other trees along 10th Street and farther south on Pete Ellis Drive were also marked to be cut down.

The city said it raised concerns after hearing from residents about the possible loss of mature tree canopy along the corridor. City staff then worked with INDOT to explore options that would reduce the number of trees impacted while still allowing the project to proceed.

“The updated plan reflects those discussions and a shared effort to balance infrastructure improvements with preservation of Bloomington’s urban tree canopy,” the city said in the release.

The agreement was scheduled to be presented to the Bloomington Board of Public Works for discussion on March 23. The city said additional procedural steps related to temporary right-of-way access could also be required before work begins.

The city said tree removal would be completed before April 1.

Residents with project-specific questions or concerns during construction are being directed to contact INDOT through INDOT4U at 855-463-6848 or through indot4u.com.

The post Photos: INDOT tree cutting underway along Pete Ellis Drive after agreement with Bloomington first appeared on The Bloomingtonian.