Updated 5pm 

The scenic ‘Rabat Road’ might be no more as mature trees on either side of it  could be facing the axe as part of a project to “upgrade” it all the way to Mrieħel.

Plans submitted a few days ago indicate that close to 200 mature trees will have to be uprooted to make way for the €55 million Central Link Project intended to ease traffic congestion in Attard, particularly the bottleneck at Triq in-Nutar Zarb.

The Times of Malta report prompted widespread outrage on social media and a denial from the Transport Ministry, which insisted that the "majority" of trees in the area will remain in place as part of a wide central strip.

Read: €55 million project to upgrade thoroughfare from Saqqajja Hill to Mrieħel Bypass

The bulk of existing trees are situated in the upper part of Mdina Road between Mount Carmel Hospital and the junction at the foot of Saqqajja Hill. Under the plan submitted for the Central Link Project, all trees bar a handful have been identified for uprooting.

A significant number of trees will also have to go in the lower part of Mdina Road, particularly the rows of trees near the junction to San Anton Gardens.

A significant number of trees will also have to go in the lower part of Mdina Road, particularly the rows of trees near the junction to San Anton Gardens.

The project incorporates a new bypass on the outskirts of Attard along Triq Tumas Chetcuti, where some of the trees will be facing the axe.

The story sparked widespread anger across social media platforms, with many describing the plans as nothing more than vandalism against the environment. 

The list of plans for "existing trees to be uprooted" submitted on June 13.

Majority of trees will stay in place, others replanted - ministry

But in a statement, the Transport Ministry denied that all trees will be removed in the area of the road between Attard and Ta’ Qali, a road which will be rebuilt from scratch as part of the Central Link Project.

"Apart from the fact that the majority of indicated trees are to remain in place in a specially designed central strip, 212 additional trees will be planted in places where there currently aren't any," a ministry statement said.

Transport Malta architects discussed the project with the Environment Resources Authority to ensure that the entire project has the least environmental impact possible.

The "majority" of trees found in Mdina Road will stay in place and will be protected thanks to a dedicated central strip between the two carriageways in opposite directions, the ministry said.

In cases where the removal of trees is necessary to ensure the new roads are "safer", they will be replanted in other places, while the areas from which they would have been removed will see the planting of new trees, the ministry pledged.

Trees to be uprooted are marked in orange.

"The new trees to be planted in such situations will not be small trees, but rather mature ones."

Upon completion of the Central Link Project, not only will the number of trees not go down, but 212 additional trees will be planted, it said.

The ministry stressed the project will improve the entire route from the Mrieħel bypass in the direction of Birkirkara, Balzan and Attard, until the Saqqajja hill roundabout, which connects Ta’ Qali, Attard, Rabat, Żebbuġ and Mosta.

This project will redesign 13 junctions and will widen one-lane bottlenecks along the arterial link. The project will not only be improving travelling times, but will also reduce vehicle emissions by 13.5%. The Central Link Project will improve and create 7.4 kilometres of new lanes and will introduce 19,300 square metres of landscaped areas with trees and shrubs, two kilometres of cycle lanes, 10.7 kilometres of pedestrian passageways and facilities and a grade-separated overpass for pedestrians and cyclists, the ministry said, promoting the project.

Policy has come under fire

Still, the plans are likely to fuel further controversy following the criticism levelled against the government in recent months over similar plans elsewhere.

The policy has come under fire from environmental NGOs and biodiversity experts who have warned that culling trees to accommodate the increasing number of cars on the roads was a short-term solution.

In the long-term there would be environmental and health repercussions, they warned.

Watch: 'Some trees survived the war, but not this Environment Minister'

In Mellieħa, some 25 Aleppo pine trees have been earmarked for uprooting to widen the Selmun road, while a kilometre-long row of trees in Sta Luċija could also be destroyed to make way for a new tunnel.

Earlier this month, Times of Malta reported that 480 trees have been uprooted in the first five months of this year. Though some of them were transplanted, in most cases the costly process has not been successful.

Meanwhile, a review of the laws protecting trees launched in February and aimed to tighten penalties and increase the number of protected species is, yet to be concluded.

Recently an Environment Ministry spokesman told this newspaper that the final version of the new policy would be presented to Cabinet shortly. However, no further announcement has been made since then.