Monserrato: All the pine trees on Via Cesare Cabras have been cut down, sparking controversy.

One tree after another, the row of pine trees planted about thirty years ago in the central reservation of Via Cesare Cabras, in Monserrato, is falling, and the city is immediately in controversy.

In recent days, the contract for the complete resurfacing of the Monserratina arterial road began. This work also includes the felling of trees, whose roots have been blamed in part for the deterioration of the road.

Months ago, over a hundred residents signed a petition to save those pine trees, but to no avail. The company in charge of the work is now removing the trees, which will be replaced with jacaranda and Washingtonia trees upon completion. Meanwhile, the sight of the fallen trunks has left the city divided.

Some believe the felling is inevitable, given the incompatibility of the pine trees with road safety—and this is also the City Council's position—but there are also those who are protesting forcefully, and the latter faction appears to be in the majority. "An environmental disaster," "There are no words to describe all this," "It's shameful to blame the trees for a road surface that hasn't seen any maintenance in 40 years," are just some of the comments that have proliferated on social media over the past few hours. Upon completion of the operation, 33 trees are expected to be removed from the central reservation. Meanwhile, the controversy rages on.