40 Acres of Beetle Infected Trees Being Removed on 290

On Tuesday, June 4, workers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture worked in the median strip along I-290 near exit 23 in Shrewsbury removing numerous trees that had be infested with, or susceptible to, the Asian longhorned beetle.

The work began after Memorial Day and will continue through the end of June, said the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. The work that would cause delays is being done between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the weekdays.

More than 33,000 trees have been removed from the area within the past five years, when the first invasive beetle was found.

SJ Port, press secretary for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, said that 40 acres of land would be affected, but the work on 290 would "only impact Shrewsbury."

"We do not have the exact count of trees," said Port.

More than 33,000 infested or vulnerable trees have been removed in the region since the invasive beetle was first found in Worcester five years ago. The beetles have since been found in Shrewsbury, Boylston, West Boylston and parts of Auburn and Holden.