Tatsumi and Partners forms the landscape architectural design element of the design/build team retained to develop and construct the designs for the new nine mile State Route 125 Toll Road.  Extending from just north of the Mexico border to south of State Route 54, major features of this new interchange include new on/off ramps and several scenic bridges. The landscape architectural portion of the project involved various levels, including the visual screening for nearby residential communities, or the “visual absorption” of vertical structural elements of the new interchange and the special mitigation needs for the several environmentally sensitive areas (both plant life and wildlife) that the toll road transverses. Critical issues related to the landscape design of this project involved creating a plant material palette which was native to the area and that contributed to the visual aesthetics of the toll road and its surroundings while also conforming to Caltrans standards and the existing established budget.