Green highway
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A green highway integrates transportation functionality and ecological sustainability. The result is a highway that will benefit transportation, the ecosystem, urban growth, and surrounding communities.
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[edit] Definition
Green highways are:
- built with permeable materials that provide superior watershed-driven stormwater management, thus preventing metals and toxins from leaching into streams and rivers
- constructed with recycled materials, thereby reducing landfill usage
- designed using cutting-edge technologies to protect critical habitats and ecosystems from the encroachment of highway infrastructure.[1]
[edit] Qualities
Though this is not an exhaustive list, green highway qualities include:
- Providing a net increase in environmental functions and values of a watershed.
- Going beyond minimum standards set by environmental laws and regulations.
- Identifying and protecting historic and cultural landmarks.
- Mapping all resources in the area in order to avoid, identify, and protect critical resource areas.
- Using innovative, natural methods to reduce imperviousness, and cleanse all runoff within the project area.
- Maximizing use of existing transportation infrastructure, providing multi-modal transportation opportunities, and promoting ride-sharing/public transportation.
- Using recycled materials to eliminate waste and reduce the energy required to build the highway.
- Linking regional transportation plans with local land use partnerships.
- Controlling populations of invasive species, and promoting the growth of native species.
- Incorporating post project monitoring to ensure environmental results.
- Protecting the hydrology of wetlands and streams channels through restoration of natural drainage paths.
- Resulting in a suite of targeted environmental outcomes based upon local environmental needs.
- Reducing disruptions to ecological processes by promoting wildlife corridors and passages in areas identified through wildlife conservation plans.
- Encouraging smart growth by integrating and guiding future growth and capacity building with ecological constraints.[2]
[edit] Technologies
Green highway construction can incorporate several technical elements including, but not limited to:
- Bioretention swales[3]
- Porous pavement shoulders[4]
- Environmentally friendly concrete[5]
- Preserved forest buffer[6]
- Restored and stormwater wetlands[7][8]
- Stream restoration[9]
- Wildlife crossing[10]
- Soil amendments[11]
[edit] References
- ^ Green Highways Partnership - Sustainable Transportation, Stormwater, Stewardship, Ecosystems, Recycling
- ^ Green Highways Partnership - Sustainable Transportation, Stormwater, Stewardship, Ecosystems, Recycling
- ^ WaterTechnologyBI
- ^ SMRC Home
- ^ Green Highways Partnership - Sustainable Transportation, Stormwater, Stewardship, Ecosystems, Recycling
- ^ Riparian Forest Buffers
- ^ EPA > Wetlands > An Introduction to Wetland Restoration, Creation, and Enhancement | River Corridor and Wetland Restoration | Wetlands | U.S. EPA
- ^ EPA > Wetlands > An Introduction to Wetland Restoration, Creation, and Enhancement | River Corridor and Wetland Restoration | Wetlands | U.S. EPA
- ^ Main Menu
- ^ Critter Crossings - Linking Habitats and Reducing Roadkill
- ^ LID Stormwater Redirect
