3.4.3 Routine Maintenance Activities
Maintenance activities of one sort or another are constantly taking place within the ROW. These include but are not limited to litter pickup, mowing, trimming, structure inspections or repair, sign repair, guardrail repair, and herbicide application. Landscape development must be undertaken so that access is provided for normal maintenance operations. Improvements must avoid the creation of unsafe conditions for motorists or maintenance personnel.
Project designs should accommodate the physical requirements of the mowing and trimming equipment; safe access and egress to the site, slope, turning radii, and mower width should all be considered in design layout. Areas with linear designs and no obstacles lead to a smooth flow of movement and may be mowed quickly with larger equipment. Limited access with obstacles requires smaller equipment and is less efficient.
3.4.3.1 Weed Control
Cost effective, long term weed control in shrub plantings is dependent on the rapid development of healthy plants. Therefore, intensive and timely procedures should be specified for the early stages of the project, particularly the 90-day establishment period.
Refer to TxDOT’s
for recommended pre-emergent and post-emergent control of annual and perennial weeds
Bark mulches may be used on slopes less than 4:1. They are not recommended for slopes greater than 4:1 because they are easily dislodged and will migrate to the bottom of the slope. TxDOT normally specifies mulch at 3” depth minimum.
3.4.3.2 Plant Bed Edging
Plant bed edging should be installed around beds to prevent grass and weed invasion. Bed configurations should be designed and specified with edge material sufficient to prevent weed invasion from adjacent vegetation (see
). Bed Edge Types are:
- Concrete:minimum 12” width x 5” depth, reinforced concrete, thick enough to withstand the weight of mowing equipment.
- Steel edging:not recommended. Use at District’s discretion.
Figure 3-10: Concrete Landscape Edging
3.4.3.3 Specialized Maintenance
- Planting design along roadways with high-mast lights, signage, and other devices must consider the maintenance area needed for these items. Utility and maintenance vehicles must have a clear path of approach and a work radius around the area.
- Anticipate the capabilities of the contractors responsible for executing maintenance contracts. In some cases, projects may be maintained by public agencies outside TxDOT. In these instances, the design should be tailored to the maintenance capabilities of the local government organization (LG) involved.