The Environment and Landscape in Motorway Design

The construction and operation of highways has a significant impact on the environment. While such impact is impossible to avoid, modern highways are constructed and landscaped to minimise these impacts as far as possible.  Good landscaping minimises the impact on those living or working close to the highway, while at the same time regenerating the natural landscape disturbed during construction.            Using as its background the successful landscape design of the Nanjing–Hangzhou Expressway in Jiangsu Province, China, which opened to traffic in 2007, Highway Landscape Design includes reference to all aspects of the landscaping of highways, including interchanges, embankments, central reservations, bridges, service and toll station areas, and drainage systems. Appropriate consideration is given to the negative impact on the surrounding environment during the process of construction and it discusses the ecological evaluation and conservation strategy for the highway route. China is in some respects at the forefront of highway landscape design as a result of rapid growth and development coupled with the financial resources to implement major infrastructure works, and the concepts, technologies and methods developed for this Expressway provide valuable experience for sustainable development strategies for such infrastructure. 

Contents Introduction Chapter 1      Impact of Motorway Construction on the Environmental Landscape and Protection Countermeasures Section I    Impact on the Natural Environment Section II   Impact on History, Culture and Scenery Section III     Pollution of the Surrounding Environment Section IV     Impact on Public Activities and Production Section V   Landscape Protection Countermeasures and Measures Chapter 2  Environmental Landscape Design of Filled and Excavated Sections Section I    Concept Section III     Functions of Planting Vegetation on the Slope Section IV     Habitat Conditions on the Slope Section V   Slope Landscape Design Section VI     Landscape Design Types Section VII    Selection of Green Plants for the Slope Section VIII   Remaking of the Rocky Cut Slope Section IX     Slope Greening and Construction Technologies Chapter 3 Interchange Environmental Landscape Design Section I Concept Section II Landscape Design Objectives Section III Creative Landscape Design Section IV Main Types of Landscapes SectionV Design Features of Interchanges on the Nanjing–Hangzhou Motorway Chapter 4 Environmental Landscape Design of the Central Reservation Section I Definition Section II Functions Section III Landscape Design Section IV Design Pattern Section V Landscape Design and Analysis of the Central Reservation of the Nanjing–Hangzhou Motorway Chapter 5 Environmental Landscape Design of Service Areas and Toll stations Section I General Section II Building Works and the Pearl Necklace Concept of the Nanjing–Hangzhou Motorway Chapter 6 Environmental Landscape Design of Bridges and Structures Section I Essential Characteristics of Bridges Section II Coordination between Bridges and the Environment Section III Analysis on Examples of Bridges along the Nanjing–Hangzhou Motorway Chapter 7 Environmental Landscape Design along the Route Section I Design Techniques SectionII Hotspot Sections along the Nanjing–Hangzhou Motorway Chapter 8 Environmental Landscape Design of Drainage Systems Section I General Requirements of Motorway Drainage Systems Section II Consistency of Design Concepts and Drainage System Section III Innovation in the Drainage System of the Nanjing–Hangzhou Motorway Chapter 9Ecological Evaluation on Motorway Green Space Systems Section I    Green Space System of the Luojiabian Interchange Area Section II      Analysis on Characteristics of Green Plant Communities on Typical Sections Section III     Green Space System of Slopes of Typical Sections Chapter 10 Vegetation Types and Available Plant Resources along the Nanjing–Hangzhou Motorway Section I    Vegetation in Lishui and Nanjing Section II      Vegetation in Liyang and Yixing Section III     Exploitable Plant Resources Appendix      Plant Species Adapted to Motorways in Jiangsu Province Chapter 11 Green Landscape Design of the Nanjing–Hangzhou Motorway (Phase II) Section I    Project Overview Section II      Design Principles Section III     Green Landscape Design of the Nanjing–Hangzhou Motorway (Phase II) Section IV     Conclusion References    

Qian Guochao is a Senior Engineer and Deputy Director of the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Transportation. Tang Shuyu is a Researcher in the Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Chief Engineer of Nanjing Botanical Gardens. Zhao Min is a Senior Engineer and Project Department Director in the Jiangsu Provincial Expressway Construction Headquarters. Jing Chun is a Senior Engineer in the Jiangsu Provincial Expressway Construction Headquarters.