Bob Songey, a regional manager with Caltrans in charge of overseeing landscape maintenance, said a pump failure that lasted two weeks in September prevented the agency from maintaining its normal irrigation.

The pump has since been repaired, Songey said, but a lot of damage was done during its downtime, which he said coincided with unseasonably warm weather. Caltrans does not expect much lasting damage.

“Most of the foliage will come back,” Songey said.

Caltrans is already looking to the future, however, with plans to replace the existing landscaping with more modern, aesthetically pleasing plants. That will happen, Songey said, after that section of the highway is widened to four lanes—a project that is years away. Caltrans will continue to maintain the landscaping until then.

“The goal is, right now, because it is a maturing landscape, that it’s time for replacement,” Songey said.

He said that those types of plants were more popular in the 1970s than they are today.

David Burger, a professor in the department of plant sciences at the University of California – Davis, said plants such as acacia and eucalyptus typically would have a longer lifespan in their native habitats. Introducing them into urban landscapes and stressful environments, such as freeways, can lower their life expectancy.

“I’m not surprised that these might be replaced after 20 to 30 years,” he said.

Burger said he expected the next landscaping plan would focus on native and drought-resistant species.

Acacia and eucalyptus are native to Australia. Oleander is native to the Mediterranean region, and common ivy is native to Europe and parts of Asia.

Source: Contra Costa Times