Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1538262
4 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 8 AUGUST 2025 NEWS Ġnien Villa Rundle Victoria, Għawdex 14 u 15 T'AWWISSU 2025 WIRJA TAL-BIEDJA U SNAJJA' MINISTERU GĦAL GĦAWDEX U LIPPJANAR PROGRAMM DĦUL B'XEJN FREE ENTRANCE Trees along Marsalforn Road marked for preservation AN exercise has been carried out by architects from the Ministry for Gozo and Planning, in col- laboration with members of Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex, to mark the trees along the Marsalforn Road between Victoria and Mar- salforn that are to be preserved. This follows a decision by Minister Clint Camilleri, on Din l-Art Ħelwa's insistence, to explore all possibilities to con- serve as many trees as possible and to ensure that these are clearly identifiable. The original plan envisaged the removal of nearly 200 trees to make way for the construc- tion of a wide bicycle lane along the entire stretch of road. However, a revised solution was devised by the Ministry's architects. The bicycle and pedestrian path will now make use of ad- jacent rural roads wherever possible. In the central section of the route, where such rural roads are not available, a ded- icated bicycle lane will be in- corporated into the existing carriageway. As this section is already relatively wide enough, the number of trees earmarked to be felled will be minimal. In total, 357 trees and shrubs (marked at their base) with a biodegradable yellow ecologi- cal spray, which will naturally fade within approximately two years. These trees and shrubs will be saved. A further 107 have been marked with a sim- ilar orange-coloured spray, indicating those that will be preserved through transplan- tation. Some of these bear an orange question mark, denoting ma- ture specimens for which trans- plantation will be attempted, despite the low likelihood of survival. Nonetheless, the Min- istry for Gozo and Planning remains committed to making every reasonable effort to save them. Photos: Din l-Art Helwa Ghawdex