Highway Planting and Irrigation

As the Departmental lead responsible for the design of the highway roadside, the Landscape Architecture Program provides expertise in the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of transportation system improvements that:

• Balance mobility, safety, maintainability and economic needs with adjacent land use and aesthetic, environmental, scenic and community values;
• Improve traveler safety through the design of context sensitive roadways for motorists, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian users;
• Improve traveler and worker safety by providing solutions that reduce the frequency and duration of maintenance worker exposure to traffic;
• Improve traveler safety through the design of safety roadside rest areas and management of rest area system needs.
  

Planting and Irrigation Resources

The Highway Planting Policy page includes planting on conventional highways, controlled access highways, programming, funding, planting by others, replacement planting, maintenance, separate contracts, use of non-potable water, priorities, planting with noise barriers, and wildflower planting.

The Project Descriptions for Roadside Projects page provides information to be used in the development of Project Study Reports, Project Reports, Fact Sheets and One-Liners. 

Native Grass Database

California Invasive Plant Council Web site

California Native Plant Society Web site

Enhanced Landscape Planting Demonstration Program

The Enhanced Landscape Planting (ELP) Demonstration Program provides a public-private partnership opportunity which allows others to provide for the improvement and maintenance of existing highway landscaping and/or non-landscaped portion of the State highway right-of-way.  This program will assist the Department in protecting the scenic quality of highways within California, while reducing state expenditures for roadside maintenance.