Landscape Concept: Nature’s Residents
The concept “Nature’s Residents” was selected by the stakeholder input process from three concepts. It celebrates wildlife and botanical diversity captured in custom designed graphics to be displayed throughout the corridor between Blue Diamond Interchange and Tropicana interchange.
The “Nature” concept spotlights the diverse ecosystem of Southern Nevada, allowing us to recognize our “residents” as a precious asset. The wildlife residents portrayed are on Murals seen on the existing bridge walls at Blue Diamond Interchange. They will include the Desert Bighorn Sheep, Coyotes, Wild Horses, Burros, Desert Hawks and Reptiles celebrated as both wall-mounted and free-standing steel sculpture.
The concept also promotes the area’s botanic diversity and geologic formations with rolling topography leading to washes that cut though our desert floor. The goal is to celebrate the unique values the desert offers and how we “co-exist” with nature. The concept promotes the Mojave Desert by only using Mojave Desert Native plant materials while applying water harvesting techniques (no new irrigation systems). Custom-blended decorative rock groundcovers simulate the natural outlying desert areas complemented by select boulder placements. Other amenities featured in the interchanges will be earth formed walls that recreate eroded compacted soils found in deep desert washes, boulder outcroppings and 3-D steel wildlife sculptures. These are strategically placed to increase driver awareness without creating a distraction.
Elements of the Theme
Download Full Landscape and Aesthetics Concept PDF
- Setting 1: Blue Diamond Interchange – This is the basis and beginning for the celebration of the "Nature's Residents" theme.
- Setting 2: New Warm Springs Bridge – This theme represents the life and actions of the Desert Hawk that make this area their home. In addition, bridge retaining walls will feature custom abstract scenes cast into concrete retaining walls.
- Setting 3: I-215/I215 Interchange – The quadrants in this interchange will commemorate Desert Bighorn Sheep, burros and wild horses that make this area home in Native Landscape scenes. In addition, select retaining walls will feature custom abstract scenes cast into the concrete.
- Setting 4: New Sunset Road Bridge – This Bridge will portray the life and actions of desert coyotes chasing small wildlife. In addition, bridge retaining walls will feature custom abstract scenes cast into the concrete walls.
- Setting 5: UPRR Crossing – This area will display wildlife using painted steel images of reptiles that inhabit this area in addition to custom abstract scenes cast into the concrete retaining walls
- Setting 6: Russel Road Interchange – This interchange portrays wildlife with 3-D metal sculptures of desert bighorn sheep flanking the Bridge on pilasters. This bridge also incorporates graphic patterns in the fencing that reflect the gentle landforms seen across the valley yet provide artistic opportunity to associate with the other areas of the overall I-15 corridor. The ground plane complements the natural desert.
- Setting 7: Hacienda Bridge cross-over – The parapet and fencing aesthetics will be similar to the aesthetics proposed at Russel Road.
- Setting 8: Tropicana Interchange – The ground treatment for this interchange will be similar to the treatments proposed at Russel Road.
