Designing a freeway includes quite a bit of thought about how it will look beyond the travel lanes. That's why we make sure Valley freeways have designs that reflect the history and natural beauty of the areas they pass through. 

The Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway is the latest reflection of that commitment. When designing the 22-mile freeway, ADOT took care in picking how sound walls, bridges and more would look, down to the lines, paint colors, landscaping and ground cover, including land-form graphics. 

As we shared last week, ADOT's designers drew inspiration from the work of modern architect Frank Lloyd Wright, architect, urban designer and artist Paolo Soleri, cholla cactuses, agriculture, the Salt River, South Mountain and more. You'll also see similar themes reflected in the choice of vegetation using, in some cases, native plants that were removed from the freeway's path, kept in temporary nurseries and replanted. 

ADOT developed these concepts, which were presented for public input, in collaboration with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Cosanti Foundation.

“Design choices are an important part of providing quality freeways for today and for future generations,” said LeRoy Brady, ADOT’s chief landscape architect. “They enhance the experience of those who use the South Mountain Freeway.”

Next time you're heading down the South Mountain Freeway, we hope you'll take the time to appreciate how its design incorporates flavors from different areas along its path. 

ADOT’s Joseph Salazar was honored recently with a lifetime achievement award from the American Society of Landscape Architects Arizona Chapter.

Salazar, who has been with ADOT for almost 30 years and serves as landscape architectural project design manager for the Roadside Development section, said the award came as a complete, wonderful surprise.

The award noted Salazar’s attention to context-sensitive design and his role in designing distinctive aesthetic patterns on the freeway walls and bridges as well as developing landform graphics, which use granite in contrasting colors to create patterns and designs onto the ground plain.

Now, months later, Salazar says he’s “still up on cloud nine” because of the honor, and even though the award was for a lifetime of achievement, he looks forward to exploring new methods and using alternative materials for future artistic designs and landscapes.

When asked to name his favorite project, Salazar said, “It’s always the next one.” However, he did admit his work on the State Route 143/Sky Harbor Boulevard traffic interchange is very special to him.

“It’s the gateway not only into the Valley but the whole state,” he said. “It introduces people who are visiting our state to Arizona.”

The design work currently happening on the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway is also something he’s very proud of and is a perfect example of the context-sensitive design that ADOT has become known for.
 

When explaining why roadside development and landscape design are so valuable and worthwhile, Salazar said it’s because it makes projects more appealing and acceptable to the public.

“After all, none of our communities want to live, work, or drive along ugly highways,” Salazar said. “Our freeways are a reflection of who we are in this state. We’re working alongside our various engineers and we take what they’re developing and make it beautiful. I’m very grateful to our engineers, management, consultants, contractors, and of course our local communities for their support through the years to make our freeway system the best there is around.”

With hundreds of blog posts in our archives, we understand if you haven’t had a chance to read them all.

However, there’s a lot of interesting content in those early posts and we don’t want you to miss out. That’s why we’re looking back and highlighting some of our favorites in a new series called, “From the Rearview Mirror.”

Originally published on Oct. 6, 2011, this post explains how ADOT creates the landform graphics you see near freeways and the practical purpose these features serve…

Landform Graphics help with dust, erosion (and they look nice too)

As ADOT employees, we naturally get a lot of transportation-related questions thrown our way by friends and family... it’s just something that comes with the job!

Crews work on the large landform graphics along I-17.

By far, one of the most frequently asked questions has to do with HOV lanes and why ADOT builds them after the freeway is constructed (we answer that one in this blog, by the way).

But, another question we regularly get focuses on the rock landscaping surrounding our Valley freeways.

People want to know why we don’t just use trees and shrubs instead of rock. Others wonder why we landscape the area at all. Well, here’s the answer...

The main purpose of all freeway landscaping is really a practical one it helps control erosion and dust.

According to ADOT’s Chief Landscape Architect LeRoy Brady, anything that breaks up the rainfall (such as rock landscaping) or has a root system and holds soil together is going to help handle erosion.

As for dust control, Brady says rock landscaping and other types of plant-based landscaping help simply by covering the dirt.

“Because you don’t have bare soil, you don’t have the dust. It eliminates the dust source,” he said.

The type of rock that’s used matters, too.

Brady says his department sponsored a study that researched what size and grade of rock would work best for controlling erosion. The study was completed about 23 years ago, but the information is still used today.

Not only does landscaping help with erosion and dust, it has the added benefit of improving the aesthetics along freeways!

Rock landscaping is less expensive to maintain than planting and trimming trees and shrubbery... and rocks don't exactly require a lot of water.

ADOT works with the local communities to determine how to enhance the scenery along the freeways. Take for example the landscaping project along the recently upgraded I-17 in the north Valley.

ADOT worked with the city of Phoenix to create the landscaping theme and settle on designs, which are created to reflect Arizona's heritage and environment.

Brady says "context-sensitive design" is an effort in transportation to design and construct environmentally sound projects that fit and relate to the community, “instead of something that’s foreign and has no relationship.”

Along I-17, great care was taken to create designs that really fit the community.

About 15 colorful landform graphics made of crushed granite have been created for the project. There are a few Gila Monsters that have now taken shape at the Carefree Highway interchange and along the slopes at the Jomax Road interchange there’s a design patterned after a Hohokam water bowl.

It’s a challenging prospect to take a landscaping pattern from paper to the extra-large canvas of a freeway slope.

The process starts with site visits. Crews use flexible PVC piping and rope to set patterns before using spray paint to outline the design on the ground. Metal edging is then used to create the borders for the different sections of the colored rock and then the rocks are put in place.

Landform graphics and rock landscaping aren’t the only affordable and sustainable options for our freeways.

The location of the freeway often plays a role in determining what type of landscape to go with, as it did on a recently completed stretch of Loop 303.

There’s a lot more to freeway landscape design that we’ll cover in future blog posts. In the meantime, check out ADOT’s Roadside Development Web page.

The SR 143 has undergone some reconstruction and work still continues, but that doesn’t mean the indigenous images and symbols that have long been a part of its landscape will go away.

Motorists driving to and from Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport have become accustomed to the landform graphics, dancers, birds and pottery designs all inspired by the Hopi and Hohokam cultures.

ADOT’s Project Landscape Architectural Designer Joseph Salazar says he and his team are preserving some of that original design and adding to it.

Take for example, the Hohokam dancers. Before construction started there were four of these statues situated in the area (they’re made of molded polystyrene that gets finished smooth and painted, by the way). Those four are being refurbished and five additional statues will be joining them.

Foam stand-ins are used to determine placement.

We had the chance earlier this month to join the project team as they scoped potential sites for the new and refurbished dancers (see photos).

The team used foam mockups to help determine placement. The real ones will go in between now and June.

Salazar says he was looking at the statues from a driver’s perspective to get an idea of where they should go.

It’s not all about aesthetics, though …

The striking landform graphics – made of decomposed granite – require no irrigation and very little upkeep. They also serve the functional purpose of stabilizing slopes and preventing soil erosion.

The location of the project also plays an important role in determining the look of the landscape. Because it’s so near the airport, trees and plant life that attract birds would not be a good idea – they could interfere with planes, according to Salazar.

The new ramp is designed with Hohokam pottery colors and motifs in mind.

The cultural significance of the area is something Salazar says inspired the plans, too. He worked with staff from the nearby Pueblo Grande Museum to examine Native American pottery and artifacts that he and his team were able to translate into the design.

“They took us into their archives,” he said. “It was a real, rare opportunity.”

Salazar says much from the culture was incorporated – down to the water wave motifs and the bold Hohokam geometric patterns that are cast into the new ramps.

“When people are first coming to Arizona and landing at the airport, these are the first features they’ll encounter,” Salazar said.

As ADOT employees, we naturally get a lot of transportation-related questions thrown our way by friends and family... it’s just something that comes with the job!

By far, one of the most frequently asked questions has to do with HOV lanes and why ADOT builds them after the freeway is constructed (we answer that one here, by the way).

But, another question we regularly get focuses on the rock landscaping surrounding our Valley freeways.

People want to know why we don’t just use trees and shrubs instead of rock. Others wonder why we landscape the area at all.

Well, here’s the answer...

The main purpose of all freeway landscaping is really a practical one ... it helps control erosion and dust.

According to ADOT’s Chief Landscape Architect LeRoy Brady, anything that breaks up the rainfall (such as rock landscaping) or has a root system and holds soil together is going to help handle erosion.

As for dust control, Brady says rock landscaping and other types of plant-based landscaping help simply by covering the dirt.

“Because you don’t have bare soil, you don’t have the dust. It eliminates the dust source,” he said.

The type of rock that’s used matters, too.

Brady says his department sponsored a study that researched what size and grade of rock would work best for controlling erosion. The study was completed about 23 years ago, but the information is still used today.

Not only does landscaping help with erosion and dust, it has the added benefit of improving the aesthetics along freeways!

Rock landscaping is less expensive to maintain than planting and trimming trees and shrubbery... and rocks don't exactly require a lot of water.

ADOT works with the local communities to determine how to enhance the scenery along the freeways. Take for example the landscaping project along the recently upgraded I-17 in the north Valley.

ADOT worked with the city of Phoenix to create the landscaping theme and settle on designs, which are created to reflect Arizona's heritage and environment.

Brady says "context-sensitive design" is an effort in transportation to design and construct environmentally sound projects that fit and relate to the community, “instead of something that’s foreign and has no relationship.”

Along I-17, great care was taken to create designs that really fit the community.

About 15 colorful landform graphics made of crushed granite have been created for the project. There are a few Gila Monsters that have now taken shape at the Carefree Highway interchange and along the slopes at the Jomax Road interchange there’s a design patterned after a Hohokam water bowl.

It’s a challenging prospect to take a landscaping pattern from paper to the extra-large canvas of a freeway slope...

The process starts with site visits. Crews use flexible PVC piping and rope to set patterns before using spray paint to outline the design on the ground. Metal edging is then used to create the borders for the different sections of the colored rock and then the rocks are put in place.

Landform graphics and rock landscaping aren’t the only affordable and sustainable options for our freeways.

The location of the freeway often plays a role in determining what type of landscape to go with, as it did on a recently completed stretch of Loop 303.

There’s a lot more to freeway landscape design that we’ll cover in future blog posts. In the meantime, check out ADOT’s Roadside Development Web page.