United States Department of Transportation
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Avoiding Degradation of Road Shoulder Asphalt Due to Turfgrass Encroachment
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1995-07-01
[PDF-705.38 KB]
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Edition:Final Report: December 1992-December 1994
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Abstract:Bermuda grass is widely used to stabilize road shoulders. However, the invasive rhizomes of bermudagrass often penetrate the asphalt causing severe deterioration. To avoid expensive and time-consuming repairs, herbicides are used to retard the growth of bermudagrass, but frequent applications are expensive and are subject to ever increasing regulations. To identify suitable alternatives to bermudagrass, we planted four turfgrasses adjacent to an asphalt road. We evaluated competitive ability, overall turf performance and changes in asphalt integrity. Both St. Augustine grass and bermudagrass caused substantial deterioration of the asphalt. Buffalo grass caused little or no asphalt deterioration and was a very strong competitor in the roadside environment. Use of buffalo grass instead of bermudagrass would not only save valuable time and resources, but would also avoid controversial input of chemicals into the environment.
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