The project involved the inventory of hundreds of existing trees within the existing median and adjacent parkways to determine the potential impacts of the roadway reconstruction on the health and vigor of the existing plant materials.

The median landscape concept involved creation of a “pulse” down the median using waves of plantings set to a wave-like guideline. The new landscape involved the planting of nearly 1,200 new trees and tens of thousands of salt-tolerant shrubs, groundcovers, vines, perennials and bulbs. As the landscape approached the bridge structures in the project, the landscape became more organized to reflect the architecture of the bridges.

To aid in the maintenance of the new landscape, an automatic irrigation system was designed and installed for the entire length of the median. This system included a series of pumping and control stations stretched out along the project length. This irrigation system will be critical in flushing out the salts that accumulate in the plantings during the winter months.