A total of 26 trees are in the process of being uprooted as part of works underway at the Siggiewi-Żebbuġ junction, Infrastructure Malta said.

The figure is significantly higher than the original one the agency had said would need to be uprooted to make way for new lanes in the area.

In June, the roads agency announced the busy junction would be upgraded, saying this would facilitate traffic flow and ease travel time. The announcement came as a surprise to the local councils of both localities, which had not been informed about the upgrade.

The works involve the replacement of a roundabout with a traffic lights system and the introduction of dedicated lanes for different routes on the busy Mdina Road. The agency claims travel time will be reduced by some 30 per cent, although the councils and residents have raised doubts about this, saying more chaos will ensue.

In recent days, those making their way through the junction noticed workers uprooting several trees along Mdina Road, with many taking to social media to vent their frustration at the agency for again uprooting trees to make way for new roads.

Although the agency had initially said only some 15 trees would be “pruned and transplanted”, a spokesperson has now confirmed to Times of Malta this number has shot up to 26.

“The agency held talks with the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) to prune and transplant 26 trees at this junction, in preparation for the new lanes. Environmental Landscapes Consortium (ELC), which is entrusted with the care of this junction’s landscaping, will assist Infrastructure Malta in the transplanting of two of the three trees at the roundabout,” the spokesperson said.  Another four trees along the side of the same roundabout will also need to be transplanted, he said.

“These six trees will be kept at ELC’s nurseries, to be replanted in the landscaped areas of the new junction, along with several other new trees, in October. The rest will be transplanted within the area. Furthermore, four trees will be uprooted whilst two dead trees will be removed,” the spokesperson said.

Despite the agency promising consultations would continue while the works were underway, Times of Malta is informed this has not been the case.