I READ with sadness the article, 'Portsdown link needed to slash travel times: LTA' (ST, Feb 22).

Singapore's greatest assets are its efficient infrastructure and its 'green' environment that, for the most part, have co-existed until recently.

No one denies the Land Transport Authority (LTA) its mandate to manage the road infrastructure but it is time we recognise that the partnership of infrastructure and a green environment is a 'package' asset that cannot and should not be disconnected.

Recently quite a few changes have been made to the Adam Road fly-over, including some that made a lot of sense (the light at the Singapore Island Country Club that allows for U-turns and the entrance into the PIE heading to Changi).

However, the loss of over 50 sturdy trees (this is a conservative number) that were well over 50 years old has left this stretch of road looking barren despite the replanting.

In addition, the underground tunnel complex at the end of Arcadia Road is, to put it plainly, an eyesore on a Heritage Road. One hundred and seventy trees are to be felled to save motorists seven minutes of travelling time at Portsdown Road. This is equivalent to 24 trees for every minute saved, not to mention that these are well-developed aged trees that cannot be replaced easily.

I have travelled on the infrastructure that is meant to benefit from the new road structure and I can tell you that I do not feel terribly inconvenienced.

I urge the Heritage Society to work with the LTA to protect a part of Singapore that cannot be replaced with replanting.

Surely, there is another option that can enhance the efficiency of the road infrastructure while ensuring we protect Singapore's 'green' environment.

We do not have to look far in Asia to see cities that had not understood the impor-tance of the environment and are still counting the cost of lost investments and, in some cases, are fighting a multi-billion-dollar battle to clean up and/or improve their environment.

BRYAN MARTONE