Watching Out for our Neighbors (and the land they live in)

The US 93 Corridor ties together major urban areas, but the ribbon of highway that takes trucks and travelers from Phoenix to Kingman and on toward Las Vegas and Laughlin passes through hundreds of miles of Arizona's open spaces. Steep canyons hide delicate riparian areas. Hidden springs lie at the base of towering cliffs and rare cactus and other plants thrive on the lowlands, baked in the summer and often snow covered in the winter. This high desert broken by craggy mountain ranges seems desolate at first glance, but is actually home to dozens of species, from the ubiquitous coyote and the stately roadrunner, to the majestic mountain lion and the humble tortoise.
 

These are the neighbors of US 93. They make up the environment of our highway and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) takes the environment, and its neighbors, very seriously.

Since the first improvement project began on US 93, ADOT has made protection of this very special environment a priority. Working with partners, including the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and the local elected and appointed officials, ADOT has designed mitigation, protection of flora and fauna, and preservation of the unique landscape into its highway reconstruction projects.

Partnering With BLM

The BLM is responsible for much of the land that the US 93 corridor passes through. ADOT has developed an excellent relationship with BLM officials and has worked with them on some of the most successful environmental protection plans that Arizona has seen in recent years.

The Plants

Salvaging and caring for the salvaged plants in a nursery and replanting native vegetation is a normal procedure for ADOT on its US 93 improvement projects. Native cacti are frequently removed from harms way before construction begins and stored in a nursery nearby. Most of these are then replanted as part of landscaping and enhancement programs after the section of highway is reconstructed. In other cases, more common leafy plants and shrubs cannot be salvaged, but highways are always revegetated with native plants in addition to any available salvaged flora.

The Animals

A wider, safer highway for motorists can create a problem for native animals. Temporary and permanent fencing is used to divert animals to safer areas away from construction and from the roadway itself. Wildlife crossings are also designed into the new highway to provide alternatives for animals wanting to cross the roadway.

 
The Landscape

US 93 travels through a number of areas that are geologically sensitive. These include riparian areas, landscapes with unique rock features, and land that is simply beautiful. ADOT takes special care in areas like these and has, in fact, developed and employed special processes and procedures to either protect the land or restore it to its natural appearance. Several US 93 projects have won state awards and gained national attention for the restoration and preservation work that has been conducted as part of the highway improvements.

Learning the “Lay of the Land”

While it is important for ADOT, BLM, and other partners in the reconstruction of US 93 to fully understand the importance of the environment and how to protect it, it is also critical that other members of the team on each project be aware of these issues. For that reason, ADOT frequently requires team training in environmental sensitivities and the methods to meet them. Sometimes construction workers and heavy equipment operators must be trained to watch for certain animal species and make sure they are not harmed. On other projects, training in plant salvage or boulder removal has been conducted. It all adds up to a team concept for safeguarding the environment, and it has worked well over the years on US 93.