Rev. 9-26-96
ROADSIDE MOWING
623-M-025
The Standard Specifications are revised as follows:
SECTION 623, BEGIN LINE 1, INSERT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 623 -- ROADSIDE MOWING
623.01 Description.
This work shall consist of machine mowing and trimming of
roadside vegetation. The roadside areas to be mowed shall be as
shown on the plans.
623.02 Prosecution of Work.
The work shall consist of the number of mowing cycles specified.
A preconstruction conference will be scheduled soon after the
award of the contract to review equipment, starting dates, the
mowing and trimming procedures, traffic control, and other
appropriate details. The Department will reserve the right to
specify starting points and direction of work at the
preconstruction conference. Calendar days will start being
counted beginning on the starting date shown in the notification
in writing from the District Director. Notification to begin each
cycle will be given to the Contractor approximately one week
prior to the starting dates shown elsewhere herein.
A cycle may be adjusted or
eliminated partially or entirely depending on growing conditions
and height of grass.
623.03 Maintenance of Traffic.
A minimum of 2 "Mowing Crews Next ______ Miles" signs
shall be placed as shown on the plans. A "Mowing Crews
Ahead" sign shall be placed where trimming crews are working
outside the limits of the signs which will be required for the
mowing crews. All such signs shall be 1200 mm by 1200 mm (48 in.
by 48 in.) in size. Signs shall be mounted such that the vertical
distance between the bottom of the sign and the edge of pavement
shall not be less than 460 mm (18 in.), as shown in the MUTCD.
These signs shall be placed at the shoulder edges. Flaggers,
warning signs, barricades, or other suitable protective devices
shall be placed not less than 90 meters (300 ft) in each
direction from the work site while loading or unloading materials
or equipment if obstructing traffic.
623.04 Equipment.
Mowing shall be performed with approved equipment. All mowing
equipment shall have protective shields in place to prevent
foreign objects from being thrown from the cutting unit. All
cutting blades shall be maintained in good cutting condition. All
machine mowers shall be set to cut at a height of 100 mm (4 in.).
All machine mowers shall be operated so as to prevent scalping,
rutting, or other damage to the turf. The equipment will be
inspected during each cycle to ensure that proper cutting height
is maintained. The equipment shall be operated so as to prevent
damage to fences, signs, delineators, shrubs, impact attenuators,
or other fixtures. The Contractor shall repair all damage caused
by the mowing operations. Inadequate equipment or lack of proper
equipment shall not be an excuse for failure to mow areas within
the identified mowing limits.
Equipment shall not be parked in a
median during non-working hours. Equipment may be parked beyond
the ditch line or off the right-of-way, but in all cases shall be
parked more than 18 m (60 ft) from the edge of the pavement.
All vehicles used in the mowing
operation shall be equipped with a minimum of two amber lights in
accordance with 801.06. Such lights shall be visible to all
approaching traffic for a distance of 300 m (1,000 ft). The
lights shall be strobe lights or flashing, oscillationg or
rotating incandescent, directed beam lights. The lights shall
also be displayed by all vehicles used to install, remove,
maintain, or repair construction warning signs.
623.05 Construction
Requirements. Mowing shall be accomplished so as to
maintain traffic safety and promote healthy turf. Mowing shall be
performed so as to limit tire slippage and mower scalping. If
such occurs, the Engineer will instruct the Contractor in proper
preventative measures. Reseeding or resodding of damaged areas
may be required. The areas to be mowed on the first cycle shall
be in accordance with the limited mowing standards shown on the
plans.
The areas designated as rural
shall be mowed on the first and third cycles in accordance with
the limited mowing requirements shown on the plans. Mowing limits
on the first and third cycles shall include full mowing in
interchanges only when specifically shown on the plans. Mowing on
the first and third cycles shall be full width for urban areas as
shown on the plans. The area to be mowed on the second cycle
shall be the full width of the right-of-way. However, slopes
which are steeper than 2.5 to 1 (40 percent) shall not be mowed.
The presence of small isolated nonmowable areas, such as slides,
trees, or large boulders shall not preclude mowing on the portion
of the slopes which are safely accessible to tractors. Small
shrubs, trees, and other vegetation with a trunk diameter of less
than 50 mm (2 in.) and in the designated mowing area shall be
cut. Crown vetch shall be mowed on the second cycle unless in an
area exempted above. Prairie Restoration Areas, where identified
by signage, shall be mowed to 3 m (10 ft) from the shoulder on
all cycles.
Vegetation shall be sufficiently
dry to minimize piling or bunching of clippings. All piling or
bunching of clippings sufficient to smother turf shall be picked
up or scattered to prevent turf damage.
Tractors will be permitted on all
slopes except those which are steeper than 2.5 to 1 (40 percent).
Hand mowing of areas not accessible to tractors will be required
in areas where it is necessary to maintain adequate sight
distance or as directed. An area will be considered to be
nonaccessible if there is no opening to gain access. Areas with
openings onto side roads will be considered accessible.
Areas which are determined to be
too wet to mow shall be mowed on the next cycle for which such
areas are accessible to mowing equipment.
Cattails within mowing limits
shall be cut by hand if an area is too wet or is otherwise not
accessible to tractors. Hand cutting of cattails will not be
required if personnel must stand in water. Cattails which do not
require cutting on the first cycle may have be cut on the second
cycle or third cycle.
A width of 1.5 m (5 ft) shall be
mowed behind guardrail or concrete barrier railing. This distance
will be measured from the back face of the guardrail or concrete
barrier railing. Guardrail or concrete barrier railing which is
located in areas of asphalt or concrete will not be required to
be trimmed. Where 2.5 to 1 (40 percent) or steeper slopes are not
protected by guardrail, a minimum of 1.5 m (5 ft) shall be cut.
Median safety mounds and islands
formed by guardrail shall be mowed by hand if not accessible for
tractor mowing. The top and all sides of the safety mounds shall
be mowed to a uniform height.
Trimming shall be performed by
mechanical or hand methods in conjunction with machine mowing on
each cycle. Such trimming shall be completed not later than three
work days after the tractor mowing. Trimming shall be performed
around all fixed objects, including subsurface drain outlets,
within the mowing limits. Vegetation around guardrail,
delineators, sign posts, headwalls, trees, or other fixed objects
shall be trimmed such that the vegetation does not exceed the
height of mowed areas. Only the perimeter of shrub beds shall be
trimmed, and not the individual shrubs within the bed.
Where landscape plantings,
individual trees, and Department of Natural Resources wildlife
plantings are closer than 2.1 m (7 ft) to the fence, the mowing
may take place around the perimeter of the plantings without
trimming to the fence. Plantings made by the Department of
Natural Resources or identified by "Do Not Mow or
Spray" signs shall be mowed along the perimeter at the sign
line.
Bridge cones and slope areas
between bridges on overhead structures and all bridge cones in
interchanges shall be mowed on routes designated as urban or
rural where the full width is to be mowed, or as directed by the
District Landscape Supervisor. This work shall be performed with
hand mowers or weed trimmers. Tractor equipment will not be
permitted on such cones. A bridge cone shall include the turfed
areas extending from the slope immediately under the structure
and the sloping area located perpendicular to the end of the
handrail of the structure. Such areas may be distinguished due to
the fact that they were sodded at the time of initial
construction. Each single bridge structure includes four bridge
cones. The mowing of such cones shall be performed during the
second or third mowing cycle, as directed.
As an exception to the other
requirements herein, all areas designated as urban areas on the
plans shall be mowed from right-of-way line to right-of-way line,
including interchange areas, on all mowing cycles. Slopes of 2.5
to 1 (40 percent) or steeper may require hand mowing as shown on
the work location sheet.
623.06 Mowing in Construction
Zone. If an area to be mowed is within the limits of
the construction zone for another contract, the Contractor shall
cooperate with the other contractor in accordance with 105.07.
623.07 Method of Measurement.
This work will not be measured for payment.
623.08 Basis of Payment.
This work will be paid for at the contract unit price per cycle
for mowing, for the cycle number shown on the Schedule of Pay
Items. Payment will be made based on the quantities shown on the
plans. The Department will reserve the right to accomplish
incidental, strip, or additional mowing with its own forces.
Payment will be made under:
Pay Item --------------------------------------------Pay
Unit Symbol
Mowing, Cycle ____
...............................................CYCL
The costs of mowing, trimming,
maintenance of traffic, construction signs, repair of damage,
reseeding if required, and other necessary incidentals shall be
included in the cost of this work.
If a cycle is eliminated entirely,
payment will be made in the amount of 5 percent of the cost of
such eliminated cycle.
623.09 Renewal of Contract.
The contract may be extended for a period of one calendar year.
The Department and the Contractor shall both agree to such
extension. Mowing dates for the first cycle may be adjusted
without change to the contract prices provided the above
conditions are agreed to by the Department and the Contractor.
The Contractor shall notify the Department on company letterhead
before October 1 of the intent to renew the contract.