MODOT AWARDS TREE CONTRACT

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission has awarded a contract to plant 323 trees along the Shawnee Parkway right of way.

The trees will be planted over a mile-long area along the route near the Interstate 55 interchange.

The work will be done by Hillside Gardens Inc. of Foley at a cost of $52,206. Federal funding will pay for the work, Missouri Highway and Transportation Department officials said.

Last fall, vandals damaged some of the 180 cypress, pine and maple trees planted earlier in the year along the same highway.

No one was ever arrested for the crime, but MoDOT officials in Sikeston said the vandalism won't deter them from continuing the beautification effort.

"We are not letting the actions of others change our objectives," said MoDOT District Engineer Scott Meyer.

Officials said the trees would provide a natural sound and visual barrier for property owners living in the area.