FARMINGTON — The time has come for the big pine on Broadway to come down.

The work will be done on Tuesday, June 20, starting at 6:30 a.m. and will take about five hours to complete, Public Works Director Philip Hutchins said.

Part of Broadway may be closed for part of the day with traffic detoured through the municipal parking lot to ensure safety.

A crane will be used to remove the tree. Deep Root Tree & Landscape will first cut the branches and then cut portions of the trunk, he said.

Several people have requested pieces of the tree. Deep Root will use a portable saw to cut the tree in to board lengths, he said.

“It’s sad, but the tree is a real safety hazard,” Town Manager Richard Davis told Selectmen Tuesday.  

The 70-foot white pine next to City Lights North, the former movie theater, was likely struck by lightning, Davis previously said. It is damaged about halfway up the trunk, he said.

“The top half could fail structurally under strong wind,” Davis said. “The arborist said he would not want his family to sleep under it.”

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This old pine tree looming above Broadway in Farmington will come down on Tuesday. The tree was likely damaged by lightning in a recent storm.