Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. officials have agreed to stop cutting trees along Cromwell Bridge Road until an independent contractor assesses the project's environmental impact, according to a county councilman who met with representatives of the utility.

The project, which involves removing all trees from a 66-foot-wide swath along a three-mile stretch of the road, was halted last week after residents and elected officials expressed concerns about erosion and damage to a nearby stream.

Removing the trees is necessary to protect overhead wires that provide power to 31,000 customers in the Towson area, including three hospitals, BGE officials said.

At a meeting with elected officials and community members Monday evening, representatives from the utility said that they would hire an independent contractor to assess the effects of the tree removal, said County Councilman Vincent J. Gardina, who chaired the meeting.

A spokeswoman for BGE said she was unable yesterday to address specific questions about the meeting, which was not open to members of the media.