Enhancement Ideas Freeway - Phoenix, Arizona

FreewayMitigation andEnhancement IdeasPrepared by the City of Phoenix Planning DepartmentJuly 1998

IntroductionTThe Miracle Mile interchange in Tucson reflects a community artisticexpression to turn massive concrete walls into art pieces. The Sky HarborExpressway, the Hohokam Expressway and the Agua Fria and Pima Freeway areincorporating Native American themes and designs near interchanges.SSince World War II, freeways have reshaped American cities, speedingurban automobile movement and opening up new regions for development. Theyhave also created blight in many neighborhoods.T here remains a need to improve and upgrade older portions of the PhoenixOOften freeways created the most prominent public works structures in aarea's freeways. Many of these were built before visual and design featureswere considered essential to the community. Some are built elevated forextended distances, further creating a visual and psychological barrier withintheir communities. The need for noise mitigation and including designstandards for overpasses and other structures were not in place at the time theywere built.neighborhood or even a community. However, the design and location of thesestructures typically responded to goals of safety, efficiency and cost and did notconsider community disruption or appearance. Some freeway structures,particularly elevated portions of freeways, cut through neighborhoods, isolatingschools, parks, shopping and friends. The structures themselves are oftenbarren of landscaping, constructed of heavy appearing concrete or steel whichcreate dark, often unmaintained and uninviting locations beneath them.A freeway mitigation program in the City of Phoenix was established in1988 to deal with the issue of compatibility of freeways to their adjoiningneighborhoods. Freeway mitigation was created by voter approval of bondmoney to prepare plans and fund projects which could mitigate blighting effectscaused by freeways on the city's neighborhoods recognizing that the physicalpresence of freeways makes them part of the neighborhood environment,impacting neighborhood identity, increasing isolation, and reducing privacy.HHowever, it is possible to design freeways with a sensitivity to the areasthrough which they pass. Depressed freeways, following natural barriers, canminimize the disruption to neighbors and minimize noise impacts. Structuralelements can be designed as pieces of urban design. Landscaping the outeredges of freeways can be done to screen traffic, blending the roadway withadjoining neighborhoods. And public art can be integrated into designs toreflect neighborhood traditions and the community's cultural heritage.M any examples in the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas illustratenewly built freeways that can become an asset to their neighbors. The PiestewaPeak Parkway, including the award-winning Thomas Road interchange forexample, was built to a high quality of design and landscaping and incorporatednot only contemporary and historical artistic elements, but involvedsurrounding neighbors in its actual design.i

OOne of the goals of freeway mitigation is to improve the long-termHowHow toto UseUse thisthis BookBookcompatibility of the freeway with adjacent and nearby land uses. Whereopportunities exist to add to or retrofit freeways with enhancements to changetheir appearance, this will provide an opportunity to enhance compatibility andbring back neighborhood identity and strength. The following are freewaymitigation neighborhood enhancement plan objectives:Originally, this book was compiled for the City of Phoenix Black Canyon/Maricopa Freeway Specific Plan, for gathering ideas and suggestions fromresidents about the enhancement of the elevated Maricopa Freeway. The varietyof enhancements included here have been or will be implemented on freeways inArizona, primarily in the Phoenix metropolitan area. This book can be used at alltypes of public meetings associated with city, state or federal agendas regardingfreeway enhancements.Incorporate enhanced freeway design elements that improve its visualappearance;Create identifying elements for neighborhoods, like pedestrian zones andother features that identify public entry points to the neighborhoods;In public meetings, this book is an excellent resource where public opinionon future freeway enhancements is important. Residents do not necessarilyhave to suggest the same type of enhancement, but there may be some aspect of aparticular color, design or treatment that they would like to see in their area.This way, when public recommendations for enhancements are suggested atmeetings, their ideas can be included in design concepts or specific mitigationplans.Incorporate enhancements at locations where the public and adjacentresidents have access, such as trails, parks, and landscaped areas alongthe freeway;Create a sense of place or visual identity in neighborhoods along thefreeway;Enhance landscaping that provides better screening of the freeway,softens the appearance of noise walls and improves the compatibility ofthe freeway with adjacent neighborhoods.In summary, this idea book is intended to stimulate discussion about theopportunities that may exist for visual improvement of freeways. By includingcosts and specific freeway locations, it can be a useful tool for communicationbetween individuals or community groups and public or highway officials.PurposePurposeT he purpose of this book is to offer suggestions and ideas to communitygroups who are looking at either new freeway design or the upgrading of anexisting freeway. This is not intended to be a design guide, but it offerssuggestions as to how design and art elements have been successfullyintegrated with freeways and freeway interchanges. In this way, applicationscan be drawn for new situations or opportunities for improving the visualappearance and relevance of urban freeways.ii

Photo:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:Photo:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:Hohokam figures (2 showing, 4 total)Reconstruction of Buckeye Road BridgeBuckeye Road over I-17 FreewayPainted metal 15,000/4 figuresPhoto courtesy of Robert PikoraHohokam BirdEnhancement of approaches to Sky Harbor AirportSky Harbor Airport overpassStyrofoam, fiberglass mesh, cement and paint 4,000Photo courtesy of Robert Pikora1

Photo:Hohokam Family of Snakes land graphicPhoto:Hohokam Gecko land graphicProject:Enhancement of approaches to Sky Harbor AirportProject:Enhancement of approaches to Sky Harbor AirportProject Area:Sky Harbor Airport overpassProject Area: Sky Harbor Airport embankmentMaterial:Multi-colored decomposed granite, metal formsMaterial:Multi-colored decomposed granite, metal formsCost: 0.57/square foot or 25,000/acreCost: 0.57/square foot or 25,000/acrePhoto courtesy of Joseph R. Salazar2Photo courtesy of Robert Pikora

Photo:Hohokam Birds in FlightPhoto:Hohokam Coatimundi land graphicProject:Enhancement of approaches to Sky Harbor AirportProject:Enhancement of approaches to Sky Harbor AirportProject Area:Sky Harbor Airport underpassProject Area:Sky Harbor Airport embankmentMaterial:Styrofoam, fiberglass mesh, cement and paintMaterial:Multi-colored decomposed granite, metal formsCost: 350 each or 24,500 for 75 birdsCost: 0.57/square feet or 25,000/acrePhoto courtesy of Joseph R. SalazarPhoto courtesy of Joseph R. Salazar3

Photo:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:Hohokam Basin land graphicEnhancement of approaches to Sky Harbor AirportSky Harbor Airport onramp to Hohokam ExpresswayMulti-colored decomposed granite, painted river rock,and metal forms 0.57/square foot or 25,000/acrePhoto courtesy of Robert PikoraLand graphic rendering courtesy of Joseph R. SalazarPhoto:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:4Hohokam Pottery land graphic and desert landscapingEnhancement of approaches to Sky Harbor AirportHohokam Expressway and Red Mountain FreewayMulti-colored decomposed granite, painted river rock, metalforms, and desert landscaping 0.57/square foot or 25,000/acre (land graphic) 1.50- 2.25/square foot (landscaping)Photo courtesy of Joseph R. Salazar

Photo:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:Adobe animal relief panels"Our Shared Environment"Piestewa Peak Parkway, north of Thomas Road at 20th St. andGreenfield RoadAdobe on concrete panels 220,000 (total for Thomas Road overpass artwork,includes 34 adobe relief panels and six 24-foot tall,reptile-shaped columns, 1990)Photo courtesy of Robert PikoraPhoto:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:5Adobe animal relief panels"Our Shared Environment"Piestewa Peak Parkway, north of Thomas Road at 20th St. andGreenfield RoadAdobe on concrete panels 220,000 (total for Thomas Road overpass artwork,includes 34 adobe relief panels and six 24-foot tall,reptile-shaped columns, 1990)Photo courtesy of Robert Pikora

Photo:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:Adobe abstract relief panels"Our Shared Environment"Thomas Road and Piestewa Peak ParkwayAdobe on concrete panels 220,000 (total for Thomas Road overpass artwork,includes 34 adobe relief panels and six 24-foot tall,reptile-shaped columns, 1990)Photo courtesy of Phoenix Arts CommissionPhoto:Adobe abstract relief panelsProject:"Our Shared Environment"Project Area: Piestewa Peak Parkway overpass, south of Thomas Road at20th Street and Cambridge AvenueMaterial:Adobe on concrete panelsCost: 220,000 (total for Thomas Road overpass artwork,includes 34 adobe relief panels and six 24-foot tall,reptile-shaped columns, 1990)6Photo courtesy of Robert Pikora

Photo:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:Photo:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:Desert and low water use landscapingPiestewa Peak ParkwayPiestewa Peak Parkway and Osborn RoadDesert and low water use vegetation, decomposed granite 1.50- 2.25/square foot (landscaping) 0.50/square foot (decomposed granite)Photo courtesy of Robert PikoraDesert and low water use landscapingPiestewa Peak ParkwayPiestewa Peak Parkway, north of Osborn RoadDesert and low water use vegetation, decomposed granite 1.50- 2.25/square foot (landscaping) 0.50/square foot (decomposed granite)Photo courtesy of Robert Pikora7

Photo:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:Photo:Southwest art sculpture, desert and low water use landscapingProject:Desert Storm Park, Piestewa Peak ParkwayProject Area: 16th Street and Georgia Avenue, north of Colter StreetMaterial: Styrofoam and paint figures on concrete relief panel, desertand low water use vegetationCost: 4.00- 10.00/square foot (sculpture) 1.50- 2.25/square foot (landscaping)Desert and low water use landscapingPiestewa Peak ParkwayPiestewa Peak Parkway, south of Bethany Home Road at 18thStreet and Montebello AvenueDesert and low water use vegetation, decomposed granite 1.50- 2.25/square foot (landscaping) 0.50/square foot (decomposed granite)Photo courtesy of Robert Pikora8Photo courtesy of Robert Pikora

Photo:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:Photo:Project:Project Area:Material:Cost:Sun and Mountains relief painting; freeway turretsPiestewa Peak ParkwayMcDowell Road and Piestewa Peak ParkwayPainted concreteRelief panels and turrets included in cost of parkwayconstruction"Untitled" muralPiestewa Peak ParkwayMcDowell Road overpassPaint on concrete relief panel 21,700 (1988)Photo courtesy of Phoenix Arts CommissionPhoto courtesy of Robert Pikora9

Photo:Teapot vessel, desert and low water use landscapingProject:"Wall Cycle to Ocotillo"; Piestewa Peak ParkwayProject Area: 17th Street and Tuckey Lane, south of Glendale AvenueMaterial: Painted steel, desert and low water use vegetationCost: 474,000 for 35 artworks from I-10 to Glendale Avenue(1992); 1.50- 2.25/square foot (landscaping)Photo:Octopus and Fishbowl vesselProject:"Wall Cycle to Ocotillo"; Piestewa Peak ParkwayProject Area: 18th Street and Claremont Street, north of Bethany Home RoadMaterial: Polychromed concrete and steel, desert and low water usevegetationCost: 474,000 for 35 artworks from I-10 to Glendale Avenue (1992); 1.50- 2.25/square foot (landscaping)Photo courtesy of Robert PikoraPhoto courtesy of Robert Pikora10