A lone protester is holding up Main Roads’ work on the notorious Eelup Roundabout by standing atop an excavator.

Ben Cody, of Waterloo, climbed the machinery this morning to stop the workers from removing the peppermint trees, flooded gums and paperbark trees on the Robertson Drive side of the roundabout.

Peppermint trees are a food source and provide habitat for rare and vulnerable western ringtail possum.

Work started today on part of the $16 million changes to the roundabout and workers have begun construction of the southbound slip-lane which will divert traffic heading south from the Australind Bypass away from the roundabout.

Mr Cody said he protesting alone against the bulldozing of the trees, some of which, are more than 60 years old.