As work begins along Wisconsin Avenue, residents are breathing a sigh of relief.

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Starting Wednesday, state highway crews began removing five large elm trees from an area dubbed the "Green Mile."

The troublesome trees stretch along Wisconsin Avenue from Norwood Drive to Cumberland Avenue in Chevy Chase.

Back in July, a man was killed in Great Falls when a rotting tree fell on his car.

The Maryland Highway Administration wants to avoid another tragedy, so they're chopping down trees that pose a safety hazard.

Chevy Chase residents say it's about time the trees, with their missing limbs and splintering trunks, come down.

Felicia Morton works in Chevy Chase and says she's ready for the trees to be cut down. "I look over there all the time, but I just won't go over there because it looks dangerous. It's not safe," she adds.

Morton walks across the street from the rotting elms four days a week.

The five trees the State Highway Administration settled on removing were severely damaged from vehicle crashes. Adding urgency to their removal is the fact that large branches draping the roadway are being hit by drivers.

Crews will spend Wednesday through Friday cutting down the damaged trees, if the weather permits.

While they work, a northbound lane of Wisconsin Avenue, between Norwood Drive and Cumberland Avenue, will be closed from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.

There is some talk that the administration will known down an extra 40 plus trees to pave the way for a sidewalk. But no final decision has been made, as the State Highway Administration is still in the design stages.