The Virginia Department of Transportation unexpectedly cut down three acres of trees and vegetation that served as a buffer between a Fairfax County middle school and the Capital Beltway, part of a plan to install new toll lanes along the highway, surprising and angering local officials.

The stretch along Balls Hill Road, across from Cooper Middle School, will be one of four staging grounds for VDOT and its contractors during the five years of construction for the High Occupancy Toll Lanes project. But the location, timing and lack of communication from the agency on last week’s clearing drew charges of arrogance from county supervisors on Monday, the same day VDOT publicly announced its plans to clear the state-owned sites.