LYLE -- Work has begun on a highway beautification project on U.S. 218 near here, where trees and bushes are being planted in areas adjacent to the ``Welcome to Minnesota'' sign at the Iowa border and on the highway right-of-way in and around the city.

The project is part of the Minnesota Department of Transportation participation in the ``Celebrate Minnesota 1990'' program.

Hoffman and McNamara, a Hastings landscaping firm, has the $36,740 contract.