Better Roads Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/115354
primary roadways in the commonwealth where safety of motorists, department employees and contractors precludes the use of mechanical methods." Mass Highways defines three classes of roadside vegetation: • Hazard vegetation represents the primary target material, including vegetation obscuring sightlines, growing over guardrails, creating obstacles to signs or vehicular movement, posing windfall hazards over vehicular or pedestrian ways, or creating winter shade leading to icing conditions. • Detrimental vegetation, including grasses and woody plants that are destructive to, or compromise the function of, highway structures, including grasses in pavement and bridge joints, medians, barriers and traffic islands, and vegetation growing in and along drainage structures, compromising drainage. Such vegetation creates storm water accumulation and hazardous icing conditions. • Nuisance/noxious vegetation, including any vegetation growing along state roadways that could potentially cause problems to the general public or Mass Highway employees or contractors, usually poison ivy. Other nui- "Left uncontrolled, roadside vegetation can impede normal maintenance operations, obstruct motorists' line of vision, threaten pedestrian safety and cause damage to structures such as median barrier, pavements, guard posts, drainage lines and waterways."- Massachusetts's Vegetation Management Plan, 2009-2013 sance vegetation may be growing within 30 feet of the edge of pavement, bridge abutments, a drainage structure or swale, other structures and appurtenances requiring maintenance, within state highway rights-of-way, are considered target vegetation. • Invasive Vegetation includes ROW infestation with invasive plant species, including introduced plants that have spread from gardens and agricultural areas into the wild, where they pose problems for the natural environment. Nebraska: Encourage Native Plants In Nebraska, the Department of Roads' Plan for the Roadside Environment promotes the increased use of native plant- Text INFO to 205-289-3789 or visit www.betterroads.com/info Better Roads March 2013 27