If

you liked the landscaping project on Ga. Highway

54 in Fayetteville last year, you're going to

love how the Ga. Highway 85 medians will look

this spring, says Sherri Anderson, Main Street

director.

"This

is going to make a tremendous difference to that

corridor coming into the city," Anderson

told City Council Monday night.

Ninety

tons of hardwood mulch and five to six semi truck

loads of greenery are on their way to

Fayetteville for the project, said David

Hollingsworth, owner of Hollingsworth Landscapes.

The company will get started right away with

planting about six acres of medians between

Shoney's and the northern entrance to Home Depot,

twice as much green space as in the Hwy. 54 phase

of the project, he said.

Council

unanimously approved a $94,191 contract with

Hollingsworth to perform phase two of its median

beautification project.

With

so much more space to fill, Hollingsworth said

the Hwy. 85 project, designed by C. L. Douthard

of Land Innovations company, will provide room

for some larger plants, and not quite as many

small shrubs and flowers.

But

there will be plenty of color and texture, he

said.

Main

Street coordinator Sallie MacGregor said taller

specimens like Savannah holly, Nellie Stevens

holly and youpon holly will provide year-round

greenery to complement the summer color of crape

myrtle. Hollingsworth said the evergreens will

reach 25 or 30 feet in height when mature.

Smaller

shrubs like carissa holly and Indian hawthorne,

pink dwarf abelia and crimson pygmy barberry will

fill in between the larger plants, and 1,750 day

lilies and 2,850 liriope will provide still more

color in season.

"We're

very excited," said MacGregor.

Work

already has begun on soil preparation and weed

control, Hollingsworth said, adding that planting

the will take about three weeks.

Traffic

may be temporarily disrupted, but Hollingsworth

promised not to block traffic during rush hours.

Temporary speed limit signs will be placed on

site for the safety of the workers.

Hollingsworth

was not the lowest bidder for the project, but

with only $96 separating his bid from the lowest,

city officials said they preferred to go with the

local company. The lowest bidder was from

Fortson, Ga.

"The

work you did last year was outstanding,"

Mayor Kenneth Steele told Hollingsworth,

"and I'm looking forward to seeing it

extended out 85."

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