Extend the life of your sidewalk

By Brighton West

Tree roots under sidewalks can be a problem. Maybe it’s the wrong tree in the wrong place. Or maybe it’s the right tree in the right place, but unlucky soil conditions caused a root to grow right under a sidewalk. The result is the same: broken sidewalks.

At this fall’s Arbor Day Foundation Partners in Community Forestry conference in Orlando, I found a product that looks promising. It’s called TripStop, and it allows a sidewalk panel to pivot over a growing root.

The manufacturer says the root can lift the sidewalk five inches without causing a tripping hazard. It’s simple. When one concrete panel is lifted, it takes the next one with it, creating a smooth transition. These need to be installed when you are installing the sidewalk. City of Portland engineer Dan Broome told FOT that the city would approve this product if property owners wanted to install it in their sidewalk.

If you are installing new sidewalks, ask your contractor about TripStop. You can find more information at www.TripStop.net. And please let us know if you install it. We’d love feedback on this product.

UPDATE: After reading this post, a Portland resident had TripStop installed.  Watch the video here.

–West is Program Director for Friends of Trees.