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An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Roadside Design and Restoration

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Executive Summary

The roadside represents the interface between the roadway and the surrounding environment and plays an important role in protecting the larger ecosystem. The intent of this guidebook is to present a comprehensive strategy to address roadside sustainability in the project decision-making process. This guidebook identifies strategies for disciplines to work together early in the process to create innovative, low-maintenance designs that meet a number of goals. These disciplines include:

• Aesthetics: The visual integration of transportation facilities into the surrounding landscape; can be defined by multiple variables ranging from natural land forms and human enhanced topography to the design of signage and road safety elements (Texas Department of Transportation, 2009).
• Geotechnical: Concerned with the behavior of earth materials; focused on the impact of the roadway to surrounding topography.
• Hydraulics: The field of science and engineering dealing with liquids; this guidebook covers concepts such as conveyance systems, channel behavior, and erosion control.
• Vegetation: The process of planting on disturbed areas following roadway construction; focused on use of native and natural vegetation.

This guidebook is limited to roadside restoration for roadway rehabilitation projects. Sustainability solutions within the roadway cross-section are included in a companion to this guidebook titled Integrated Approach for Building Sustainable Roads (2013). The audience for this guidebook includes practitioners involved in project development, such as the owner's staff, public officials, planners, engineers, designers, and those involved in contractor oversight and management.

The goal of this guidebook is to raise awareness concerning the trade-offs inherent in designing a sustainable roadside so that these issues are addressed early in project planning. A checklist of strategies is included within the discussion of each discipline.

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