The medians on U.S. 82 in Greenwood may appear to be dying, but they will look that way for only a short time, according to city officials.
The city decided to step in to maintain the medians after the Mississippi Department of Transportation scaled back its mowings from three times a year to two in an effort to save funds.
“It’s a herbicide that we use to kill the weeds. Everything turns that color,” said Susan Bailey, director of the city’s Department of Public Works.
About a week ago, the city applied the herbicide, Bailey said. She said the Bermuda grass on the median will become green again shortly.
Greenwood Mayor Carolyn McAdams said mowing the medians has been a challenge.
City crews have been edging the medians, something that probably has never been done before, the mayor said. Some of the medians don’t even have curbs, she said.
An interlocal agreement between the city and Leflore County will soon have the county mow both sides of the U.S. 82 right of way while the city maintains the medians, the mayor said.
“We’re going to try and do it early this Saturday or next Saturday,” McAdams said.
Since neither the county nor the city has enough portable road work signs for the undertaking, a sheriff’s patrol car and a city police car will alert motorists to the mowing operation, the mayor said.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
