NATCHEZ — It may take five public and private agencies to get the job done, but the Liberty Road interchange landscaping is going to look better soon.

The City of Natchez, Adams County, local organizations, a private business and the state are pooling their resources to handle maintenance of the elaborate landscaping put in near the bridge six years ago.

Natchez City Engineer David Gardner and County Supervisor and Adams County Extension Service Director David Carter are heading up the effort to clean up and maintain the interchange, which was opened by MDOT in 2007.

Carter worked with the Natchez-Adams County Master Gardeners and Mississippi State University Extension Service representatives to draft a plan detailing what needs to be done to maintain the flower beds and green space at the interchange, including routine, year-round mulching, edging and weeding.

Carter presented a similar plan to the aldermen for the medians on John R. Junkin Drive in March, and the aldermen then asked him to work on a plan for Liberty Road.

The aldermen committed $5,000 from the city’s public properties fund and the county has agreed to provide fertilizer, fire ant abatement chemicals and equipment to start work on the plan.

Gardner said MDOT has agreed to haul approximately 500 cubic yards of mulch to Natchez from Phillips Bark in Brookhaven, as well as provide equipment and workers for a four-day landscaping overhaul on May 8-11.

U.S. Lawns, Gardner said, has agreed to donate equipment to put out the mulch.

The Master Gardeners and members of the Natchez-Adams County Community Alliance, Gardner said, will be volunteering their labor for work, including planting wild flowers in one of the areas that has not produced successful plant growth.

Gardner said about 20 city and county inmates will also be on hand to work on the project.

The interchange’s sprinkler system, which was installed by MDOT, is not currently fully functional, but Gardner said Natchez Water Works employees will meet with Gary Porter, vegetation manager for MDOT, to learn the irrigation system. Gardner said MDOT will also provide spare parts for the irrigation system to help repair the system.

Gardner said the groups will continue to work together to maintain the interchange once a month.

Gardner said MDOT maintained the interchange until about a year or two ago. He said the city was not aware that the maintenance of Liberty Road fell on the city.

MDOT District Engineer Albert White told the aldermen at their Tuesday meeting that no memorandum of understanding outlining landscaping maintenance responsibilities for the interchange was done between the city and MDOT. White said without a memorandum, the responsibilities are dictated by law, which he said means the interchange maintenance is the city’s responsibility.

White said he was not in his position at MDOT when the agreements for the interchange were made. He said MDOT has now started putting memorandums of understanding regarding landscaping in place with municipalities.

Like many municipalities and departments, White said, MDOT has struggled for money.

“We are grateful for the city taking the lead on the Liberty Road Interchange,” he said at the meeting.

Gardner said Friday that regardless of whose responsibility it is to maintain the interchange, it cannot continue to be neglected.

“Regardless of whose legally responsible, this is something the community needs to take on because it’s a bad reflection on our city,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re going to step up and do the best we can to maintain the interchange.”

Carter said it will be costly to get Liberty Road completely up to par, but he said he thinks the combination of efforts is a step in the right direction toward beautifying not only the interchange but the rest of the city as well. He said he hopes going forward money can be specifically budgeted each year for community beautification.

“We have to start somewhere,” Carter said. “I think the citizens deserve more than what they’re getting from a community pride standpoint.”

Carter said any money spent on community beautification will see tangible results that will improve the community as a whole.

“Research has consistently shown that the more aesthetically pleasing a city is, the greater community pride, revenue, sales tax, tourism and all that is,” he said. “Everything follows those kind of trends.”