300-Year-Old Tree to Be Cut Down for Road Expansion - 12 News KBMT and K-JAC. News, Weather and Sports for SE Texas

(KCEN) -- It's a tree that's been here longer than Texas has been a state.

Only it won't be around for much longer.

That's because it's in the way of the expansion of a farm to market road in Belton.

A drive home wouldn't be the same for many around here without the massive tree.

It's stood on FM 1123 for more than 300 years.

To put that in perspective, it was there more than 60 years before the American Revolution.

And more than 130 years before Texas became a state.

Only now the tree has been targeted and will be chopped down.

Jack Justice has lived nearby for 35 years and has a special attachment to the tree.

He said, "I think it's totally irrelevant and totally unnecessary. And if that's all TxDOT's got to waste their money on, is widen this road three foot, and are prepared to kill a tree like this, they out to be ashamed of themselves."

TxDOT is expanding the road to meet state standards.

The lane is growing by a foot and they're adding a three foot shoulder, all for the safety of drivers.

Ken Roberts with the Texas Department of Transportation said, "If you have no shoulders or should have obstructions, or potential obstructions, those are the kind of things that a vehicle will impact should it come off the roadway."

The issue here is safety. The tree is just way too close to the road. But people who live around here said the reflective markers do the job and that the tree is no danger to anyone."

Jack White has known about this tree his whole life.

And says he's only ever seen two cars hit it.

White said, "It hasn't been a lot of accidents. It's potential I guess you can say. It's just been here."

He wishes they would just move the road the opposite direction.

Unless something changes, the tree will be chopped down sometime during the next few days.