WHEELER ROAD BEAUTIFICATION

Details: In late 2009, after reviewing gateways most heavily traveled by visitors to Augusta, it was found that the Wheeler Road gateway and corridor was the second most highly traveled roadway in Augusta second only to Washington Road. The Committee decided to tackle this second most highly traveled road and worked with the City of Augusta and a private landscaping company to clean and beautify Wheeler road from I-20 to I-520. The work accomplished included: mowing, edging, cleaning all gutters, removing weeds and debris in concrete cracks and adding pine straw tree “collars” around trees in the medians.

In early 2011, with the gateway and corridor still looking unkempt, the Committee decided it was time to make a full-scale renovation of this corridor.

By 4/4/2011, the Wheeler road corridor beautification project was complete. The scope of work included installation of water source lines to each median, removal of unsuitable soil and replacement with topsoil, installation of an irrigation system, planting Zoysia sod, Willow Oak trees and three ornamental beds.

This project is a public/private partnership. Wheeler road business owners funded the initial construction and continue to fund weekly maintenance year round (52 weeks a year); the city of Augusta provided traffic control and water source lines and continues to provide water for irrigation within the right-of-way.