I- 476, is a primary traffic artery for accessing south Philadelphia from the northwest suburbs. It spans between the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-95. As such, the 6-lane expressway passes many residential neighborhoods.

Synterra, Ltd. was responsible for public involvement, planting design, noise abatement and aesthetic recommendations of key sections of I-476. Project staff met regularly with interested community groups and regulatory agencies to solicit input and achieve consensus. Our careful and experienced handling of sensitive issues in numerous public meetings enabled us to overcome 50 years of opposition to the project. The mitigation of the road's impact on local neighborhoods was coordinated with affected communities. Each individual community played an integral part in the design of noise barriers, visual buffers, material selection and aesthetic treatments.

Innovative planting solutions softened the visual impact of the barriers for both residents and motorists. The design also attended to strategic environmental and historic considerations including woodland preservation, stream relocation/redirection and wetland replacement.