AASHTO Journal - NMDOT Seeks Input on Statewide Aesthetics Plan

The New Mexico Department of Transportation is seeking input from residents across New Mexico on a new “Statewide Aesthetics Plan” that the agency believes will “shape the visual character of our roadways” for generations to come.

[Above photo by NMDOT]

The agency said this “comprehensive initiative” aims to establish design guidelines for bridges, interchanges, sound walls, rest areas, and landscaping throughout New Mexico’s highway system – with the input of state residents helping NMDOT ensure those elements “authentically reflect” New Mexico’s “unique character.”

The new plan will also help NMDOT support the careful preservation of scenic vistas across the state, while deploying “art treatments” as a tool for integrating New Mexico’s rich history, cultures, and ecologies into the state’s roadways and roadway structures.

“The aesthetic treatments we implement are powerful expressions of New Mexico’s extraordinary cultural heritage, diverse ecosystems, and rich history,” said John Busemeyer, an NMDOT landscape and revegetation specialist, in a statement. “These thoughtful design elements help preserve the breathtaking scenic vistas that define the New Mexico travel experience.”

Many state departments of transportation engage in a variety of landscaping projects to not only help beautify road and bridge networks but also support pollinator species as well.

For example, in January, the Michigan Department of Transportation began transforming unused land near an interstate rest area into a 14-acre scenic strip of tallgrass prairie designed to attract pollinators.

The goal of the project on this agency-owned parcel – located south of the Turkeyville rest area on southbound I-69, just west of the right of way –is to create habitat for pollinators to serve as a safe refuge and connector to other suitable habitat in the landscape.

And, in May 2024, the Virginia Department of Transportation announced plans to install 135 new acres of pollinator habitats as part of its ongoing commitment to protect the valuable ecosystem provided by pollinators such as bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, flies, and more.