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Nebraska Department of Roads' Plan for the Roadside Environment
Transportation officials in Nebraska are taking a broader view of the role of landscaping aimed at helping to integrate environmental stewardship objectives into the state’s roadway design, planning, safety, and operations programs. The Nebraska Department of Roads’ Plan for the Roadside Environment provides a range of information on each of six “landscape regions” in the state as well as descriptions of the roadway corridors. Information provided for each region includes hydrology, climate, soil and plant types, regional history, land use, and economic features. It then provides a set of overall objectives for the roadside landscape across the state and for individual road classifications within each region.
The plan encourages:
- increased use of native plants appropriate to each landscape region;
- seeding of native grasses, legumes, and forbs in new ways as design elements and to provide soil stabilization for the roadway corridor;
- using required environmental mitigations in a manner that will accomplish landscape objectives;
- use of permanent erosion control and stormwater control as design features;
- development of additional ways to use plantings to reduce maintenance efforts and improve stewardship; and
- enhancing partnerships with natural resource agencies and others.
The plan marks a new approach for the department, which once considered landscaping as merely “beautification” work done after road construction was complete. Under the new plan, landscaping incorporates features such as soil stabilization and erosion control, stormwater detention and retention, and creative use of native grasses and other plants to help roadways better fit into their context. The plan is intended to help consider broader landscape issues – such as effects on wetlands, stormwater runoff, and endangered species habitat – early in the project development process.
While the department had been using native grasses and wildflowers for roadside stabilization since the 1960s, the new approach to the roadside landscape goes further. The transportation agency incorporated the wildlife conservation strategy done by its sister agency – the Game and Parks Commission – into its landscape plan. This allowed the agency to identify biologically unique landscapes to be considered as part of the project development process.
The plan defines the six “landscape regions” within the state based on differences in climate, geology, hydrology, geography, and native plant communities. It provides a report for each region, including maps of the roads and special interest areas in that region, as well as information concerning environmental and social elements. The document describes landscaping techniques, hydrology, unique biotic communities, or environmental issues of particular concern for each landscape region. It also includes guidance regarding use of native plant materials such as grasses, wildflowers and woody plants.
A second regional map displays the corridor classifications of the highway segments in each region, which include: metropolitan, community center, community edge, rural Interstate/expressway, rural highway, and scenic. The map is used to determine the landscape objectives for each corridor. Individual landscape region reports also provide information on special characteristics of roadway corridors. The plan describes the following landscape objectives to be considered in the design of all roadway corridor classifications:
- Stabilize the soil, prevent erosion, protect roadway structures.
- Manage wildlife habitat and connect wildlife corridors.
- Minimize maintenance, increase maintenance efficiency.
- Integrate the roadway corridor into the surrounding regional landscape.
- Display native vegetation and introduce the motorist to the regional landscape.
- Minimize effects on biotic communities.
- Filter runoff pollutants.
The plan also sets forth the following additional objectives that may be applied according to the needs of each particular corridor type:
- Provide storm water detention/ground water infiltration;
- Screen headlight glare;
- Control blowing snow – snow drift control;
- Accent informational signage;
- Screen distractions outside of the right-of-way;
- Frame views (help reduce highway hypnosis); and
- Provide point of interest/identify community entry/improve way-finding.
While implementation of the plan is in the early stages, officials say landscape review is now one of the first steps when projects are created. In September, Nebraska’s plan received the Federal Highway Administration’s 2009 Environmental Excellence award in the category of roadside resource management and maintenance. The plan may be accessed on the Department of Roads website at http://www.dor.state.ne.us/environment/roadside-plan.html. For more information, contact Art Thompson, Highway Landscape Architect, Nebraska Department of Roads, Planning and Project Development Division by e-mail at art.thompson@nebraska.gov or by phone, at (402) 479-4839.
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