PRESERVATION OF LANDSCAPE FEATURES

AN INVENTORY OF ALL NATURAL AND SCENIC FEATURES SHOULD BE MADE DURING THE EARLY PLANNING AND LOCATION PHASES OF HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT. LANDSCAPE FEATURES TO BE INVENTORIED ARE REVIEWED. WOODLAND NOT ONLY PROVIDES SCENIC BEAUTY BUT ALSO AIDS HIGHWAY DRAINAGE AND ABATES NOISE AND AIR POLLUTION. EXISTING PLANTS SHOULD BE RECORDED FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. STREAMS, RIVERS AND OTHER SURFACE WATER FEATURES SHOULD BE TREATED AS INVIOLABLE FEATURES. CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO MAINTAINING WATER COURSES IN THEIR NATURAL CHANNELS. FAILURE TO DO THIS COULD LEAD TO LOSS OF ABSORPTION AND ENERGY DISSIPATION PROVIDED BY THE NATURAL VEGETATION. THE PRESERVATION OF WETLANDS, WITH THEIR PARTICULAR FLORA AND FAUNA SYSTEMS, IS PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE. HIGH VIADUCT SECTIONS MUST BE USED IF HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION MUST PASS THROUGH A FLOOD PLAIN. SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO INVENTORYING URBAN AND SUBURBAN LANDSCAPE FEATURES SUCH AS VEGETATION AND NEAR OR DISTANT VIEWS OF LAKES, RIVERS OR OCEAN FRONTS. ADEQUATE AND GENEROUS ACQUISITION OF LANDS IS REQUIRED TO PRESERVE LANDSCAPE FEATURES AND TO CREATE NECESSARY BUFFER AND TRANSITION ZONES BETWEEN THE HIGHWAY AND ADJACENT AREAS. HIGHWAY ALIGNMENTS SEVER PROPERTIES AND MAY LEAVE REMANANTS OF LAND THAT THE STATE IS COMPELLED TO ACQUIRE. A PROCEDURE WAS EXTABLISHED IN MARYLAND, TO ENSURE RETENTION OF ANY SUCH LAND PARCELS UNTIL THE STATES ARCHITECTS DETERMINE WHETHER IT IS OF LANDSCAPE OR SCENIC VALUE. THE LANDSCAPE FEATURES PRESERVED DURING LOCATION AND DESIGN MUST BE PROTECTED DURING CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE. SEDIMENT CONTROL SHOULD NOT BE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTION PERSONNEL BUT ALSO OF THE DESIGNERS WHO SHOULD INCORPORATE SEDIMENT CONTROL SPECIFICATIONS IN THEIR PLANS.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr138/138-017.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309021529
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Research Board

  2101 Constitution Avenue, NW
  Washington, DC    20418
• Authors:
  • Anderson, Charles R
• Conference:
  • 5th Summer Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Madison Wisconsin, United States
  • Date: 1972-7-31 to 1972-8-2
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Pagination: pp 95-97
• Monograph Title: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS IN PLANNING, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 138
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Environment; Flood plains; Highway planning; Inventory; Landscape maintenance; Marshes; Natural resources; Noise control; Preservation; Property acquisition; Scenic highways; Sediments; Suburbs; Surface drainage; Urban areas; Vegetation; Viaducts
• Uncontrolled Terms: Scenery
• Old TRIS Terms: Highway drainage; Marshlands; Water sources
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Freight Transportation; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00205253
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309021529
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 3 1974 12:00AM