Green highway

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.

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. [ [http://www.greenhighways.org/faq.cfm Green Highways Partnership - Sustainable Transportation, Stormwater, Stewardship, Ecosystems, Recycling ] ]

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. [ [http://www.greenhighways.org/Makes_Highway_Green.cfm Green Highways Partnership - Sustainable Transportation, Stormwater, Stewardship, Ecosystems, Recycling ] ]

Technologies

Green highway construction can incorporate several technical elements including, but not limited to:

* Bioretention swales [ [http://www.epa.gov/owm/mtb/biortn.pdf WaterTechnologyBI ] ]
* Porous pavement shoulders [ [http://www.stormwatercenter.net/ SMRC Home ] ]
* Environmentally friendly concrete [ [http://www.greenhighways.org/Template.cfm?FrontID=5105 Green Highways Partnership - Sustainable Transportation, Stormwater, Stewardship, Ecosystems, Recycling ] ]
* Preserved forest buffer [ [http://www.chesapeakebay.net/forestbuff.htm Riparian Forest Buffers ] ]
* Restored and stormwater wetlands [ [http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore/finalinfo.html EPA > Wetlands > An Introduction to Wetland Restoration, Creation, and Enhancement | River Corridor and Wetland Restoration | Wetlands | U.S. EPA ] ] [ [http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore/finalinfo.html EPA > Wetlands > An Introduction to Wetland Restoration, Creation, and Enhancement | River Corridor and Wetland Restoration | Wetlands | U.S. EPA ] ]
* Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices [ [http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/stream_restoration/newgra.html Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Practices ] ]
* Wildlife crossing [ [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/wildlifecrossings/ Critter Crossings - Linking Habitats and Reducing Roadkill ] ]
* Soil amendments [ [http://www.lid-stormwater.net/soilamend/soilamend_benefits.htm LID Stormwater Redirect ] ]

References

ee also

*Green Highways Partnership
*Green building