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Landscaping Begins on Tollway Extension The recently opened section of the Dallas North Tollway in Frisco will soon be getting greener, thanks to a $3.9 million landscape improvement contract approved in March by the NTTA Board of Directors. Landscaping improves environmental quality and adds to the aesthetic appeal of the roadway which enhances opportunities for economic development for the cities, counties and businesses adjacent to the tollway.
Over the next 15 months, contractors will install about 19,000 one- to five-gallon shrubs, an estimated 430 trees and various grasses and turf elements on the corridor from State Highway (SH) 121 to U.S. 380.
All landscape improvements are native or adaptive native plants, consistent with the NTTA’s policy of installing environmentally-friendly landscape elements that help reduce long-term maintenance and irrigation demands. The plants also conform to the NTTA’s System Wide Design Guidelines and are similar to landscape improvements already in place along portions of the President George Bush Turnpike.
Some tree species scheduled for planting include the Shumard oak, bigtooth maple, eastern red cedar, blue point juniper, Mexican plum, red bud and desert willow. Shrubs, grasses and turf elements scheduled for planting include silver cloud sage, green cloud sage, miscanthus, red yucca, salvia, Bermuda grass and weeping love grass.
Plans call for turf to be maintained without irrigation, while other landscape elements will have more efficient bubbling or drip irrigation only. The irrigation system will also feature rain and freeze sensors, along with a fiber-optic link to an NTTA weather station that monitors weather data to determine precise watering requirements.
ValleyCrest Landscape Development, Inc. submitted the winning bid and is expected to receive a notice to proceed with work in April. Work will include the installation of 10 irrigation stations, and each station will have 24 to 48 individual zones. The contract also includes a 24-month maintenance and warranty period that follows completion of the installation project in mid-2009.
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