The large concrete “sound walls” along Ga. Highway 74 south will be gussied up with landscaping in coming weeks.
The three sections of the sound buffering devices were erected by the Georgia Department of Transportation in conjunction with widening Hwy. 74 from two to six lanes in that area.
But the concrete walls lacked that Peachtree City panache, which is why the city pursued and won a $50,000 grant to pay for the landscaping, which will include evergreen, flowering and deciduous vines, according to City Planner David Rast.
“We’ll have a mix of color and foliage along the walls themselves,” Rast said.
The plan will be scaled back slightly from the initial scope since the lowest bidder for the project came in beyond the $50,000 grant the city received for the project. Tri Scapes Inc. was the lowest of four bidders on the project.
The project was initially bid several months ago, but after the responses came back significantly over budget, city staff trimmed the plans and re-bid the project.
The landscape plan was designed in house by city staff.
The city hopes to pursue similar landscaping grants in the future from the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Gateway grant program, which is funded by clearing permits issued to billboard companies.
