ROADSIDE MAINTENANCE AND ITS EFFECT ON HIGHWAY DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

PLOTS WERE ESTABLISHED ON MEDIAN AND CUT AND FILL SLOPE AREAS TO DETERMINE THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INCIDENCE OF EROSION, TURF DENSITY AND NITROGEN, PHOSPHOROUS AND POTASSIUM NUTRIENTS APPLIED IN VARYING AMOUNTS. MODERATE QUANTITIES OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHOROUG WERE NECESSARY TO PREVENT THE DEVELOPMENT OF BARE AREAS ON SLOPES. WELL ORGANIZED COST/TIME STUDIES AND EXTENSIVE OBSERVATIONS SHOWED THAT A REDUCED-CONTROLLED MOWING PROGRAM COMBINED WITH APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT CAN RESULT IN MOWING COST SAVINGS OF 25 TO 30 PERCENT. ON RIGHTS-OF-WAY AVERAGING 27 ACRES OF ROADSIDE AREA PER MILE. THIS REPRESENTS AN IMPORTANT SEGMENT OF THE MAINTENANCE BUDGET. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RETARDANTS /GROWTH INHIBITORS/ IS CLOSELY RELATED TO TIME OF APPLICATION. USE OF VEGETATION CONTROL CHEMICALS MUST BE CAREFULLY UNDERTAKEN, AND PROPER EQUIPMENT IS ESSENTIAL PARTICULARLY IN AREAS ADJACENT TO ORNAMENTAL PLANTS AND SUSCEPTIBLE FARM CROPS. KARMEX AND SIMAZINE ARE EFFECTIVE SOIL STERILANTS. WHEN USED SINGLY, THE AMOUNTS NEEDED FOR VEGETATION CONTROL BENEATH GUARDRAILS ARE LARGE AND COSTS ARE HIGH. KARMEX PLUS WK SURFACTANT AND SIMAZINE WITH AMITROL-T ARE EFFECTIVE AND REASONABLY SAFE COMBINATIONS. TO SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISH PLANTINGS OF WOODY SPECIES, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT A PROPERLY PREPARED PLANTING BED BE PROVIDED, AND THAT THE FOLLOWING FACTORS BE CONSIDERED' /A/ PROPER SELECTION OF SPECIES /ECOLOGICAL PROPRIETY/. /B/ GOOD PLANTING TECHNIQUES. /C/ MAINTENANCE DURING ESTABLISHMENT PERIOD.

• Corporate Authors:

  Ohio State University, Columbus

  190 North Oval Drive
  Columbus, OH  United States  43210
• Authors:
  • Coffman, B
  • Edwards, W
• Publication Date: 1966-1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Chemicals; Construction management; Design; Erosion control; Fertilizers; Highways; Landscape design; Maintenance; Medians; Mowing; Planting; Retarders (Chemistry); Roadside; Slopes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Design criteria
• Old TRIS Terms: Karmex; Simazine; Vegetation selection
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218005
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Ees-189
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 1 1994 12:00AM