John Trujillo watches as a branch he cut is lowered by the rest of the tree service crew. Trujillo said the trees were probably more than 100 years old.

R and R Tree Service workers worked from on high and on the ground Monday to remove some of the large trees that line the main highway through Dayville.

The work began last weekend and is expected to continue through the week.

The Oregon Department of Transportation hired the company to remove the trees after an arborist determined that they were unhealthy. They had been known to drop limbs onto the roadway below, causing a hazard to pedestrians and cars.

The state will plant new trees in the area in the spring.