Integrated Vegetation Management

The proposed Pilot Project identifies areas within Caltrans right of way in the City of Santa Cruz with weed problems that would normally be controlled by herbicides. The project will install different commercial weed control products to test their efficacy in eliminating weeds and to assess their acceptability to the community.

The areas chosen for treatment on this project will be high traffic areas to maximize public visibility and to test product maintainability under harsh conditions. Project work locations were selected for their impact on highway traffic during construction and maintenance activities, successful weed control should minimize the need for lane closures.

The weed control products consist of solid mats, liquid soil sealers and inert organic materials.

No herbicides will be used for vegetation control on the project.

Median work on Route 1 will occur from approximately the La Fonda Ave. overcrossing to the Market St. undercossing.

Seeding and mulching will occur on the west shoulder of Route 17 at the Route 1 interchange (the area known as the ‘fish hook’).

Traffic control will require shoulder closures on most of the project. The Traffic Management Plan calls for nightwork whenever a lane closure is required.

Median Areas (inside shoulders)

Adjust manhole to grade: remove existing manhole, install new frame at finish grade
Remove existing weeds in median by scraping
Cultivate soil in areas to receive drillseeding, remove rocks
Level and compact median soil, including cultivated areas
Apply weed barrier materials
Drillseed cultivated areas within the median

Landscape Areas (interchange)

Remove weeds and iceplant and replace with mulch and various weed barriers
Prune existing vegetation as necessary
Apply soil sealers, corn gluten and weed barriers in designated areas
Apply mulch, mulch with cardboard and drillseeding in designated areas