Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 001 - ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION › Rule 001.01.89-001 - Arkansas State Highway Commission Utility Accommodation Policy

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
DEFINITIONS
AHTD/Department
- Shall mean the Arkansas State
			 Highway and Transportation Department.
ADT - Average Daily Traffic
- The average 24-hour
			 volume, being the total volume during a stated period divided by the number of
			 days in that period. Unless otherwise stated, the period is a year. The term is
			 commonly abbreviated as ADT.
1. Low
		  Volume Roadway - Under 2,000 ADT
2.
		  High Volume Roadway - Over 2,000 ADT
Backfill
- Replacement of suitable Material
			 compacted as specified around and over a pipe, conduit, casing or
			 gallery.
Backslope
- The slope leading away from flowline of
			 ditch.
Bedding
- Organization of soil or other suitable
			 material to support a pipe, conduit, casing or gallery.
Bury
- Depth of top of pipe or facility below grade
			 of roadway or ditch,
Cap
- Rigid structural element surmounting a pipe,
			 conduit, casing or gallery.
Carrier
- Pipe directly enclosing a transmitted
			 fluid (liquid or gas) .
Casing
- A larger pipe enclosing a carrier.
Clear Roadside Policy
- The policy employed by a
			 highway authority to increase safety, improve traffic operation and enhance the
			 appearance of highways by designing, constructing, and maintaining highway
			 roadsides as wide, flat, and rounded as practical and as free as practical from
			 physical obstructions above the ground such as trees, drainage structures,
			 massive sign supports, utility poles, and other ground-mounted obstructions.
			 (also referred to as: clear recovery area and clear zone).
Coating
- Material applied to or wrapped around a
			 pipe.
Conduit or Duct
- An enclosed tubular runway for
			 protecting wires or cables.
Control of Access
- The condition where the right of
			 owners or occupants of abutting land or other persons to access, light, air, or
			 view in connection with a highway is fully or partially controlled by public
			 authority.
Full Control of Access
- The authority to control
			 access is exercised to give preference to through traffic by providing access
			 connections with selected public roads only by prohibiting crossings at grade
			 or direct private driveway connections.
Partial Control of Access
- The authority to control
			 access is exercised to give preference to through traffic to a degree that, in
			 addition to access connections with selected public roads, there may be some
			 crossings at grade and some private driveway connections.
Cover
- Depth of top of pipe, conduit, casing or
			 gallery below grade of roadway or ditch.
Cradle
- Rigid structural element below and
			 supporting a pipe.
Direct Burial
- Installing a utility underground
			 without encasement, by plowing.
Drain
- Appurtenance to discharge liquid
			 contaminants from casings.
Drainage Structure
- Any structure providing
			 drainage for the highway other than a bridge.
Dry Bore
- Augered or drilled, the use of water may
			 be used as a lubricant providing water pressure does not exceed 10 PSIG.
Emergency
- An unforeseen occurrence or condition,
			 that may cause harm to persons or property, calling for immediate
			 action.
Encasement
- Structural element surrounding a
			 pipe.
Encroachment
- Unauthorized use of highway
			 right-of-way or easements as for signs, fences, buildings, utilities, parking,
			 storage, etc.
Expressway
- A divided arterial highway for through
			 traffic with full or partial control of access and generally with grade
			 separations at major intersections.
FHWA
- Shall mean the Federal Highway
			 Administration.
Flexible Pipe
- A plastic, fiberglass, or metallic
			 pipe having large ratio of diameter to wall thickness which can be deformed
			 without undue stress.
Flowline of Ditch
- The low point of a ditch that
			 runoff water will follow.
Foreslope
- The slope leading away from the pavement
			 or shoulder of a highway.
Freeway
- An expressway with full control of
			 access.
Frontage Road
- A local street or road auxiliary to
			 and located on the side of an arterial highway for service to abutting property
			 and adjacent areas and for control of access.
Gallery
- An underpass for two or more utility
			 lines.
Grade Separation
- A crossing of two highways, or a
			 highway and a railroad, at different levels.
Grounded
- Connected to earth or to some extended
			 conducting body which serves instead of the earth whether the connection is
			 intentional or accidental.
Grout
- A cement mortar or a slurry of fine sand or
			 clay.
High Volume Roadway
- Over 2,000 ADT
Highway, Street or Road
- A general term denoting a
			 public way for purposes of vehicular travel, including the entire area within
			 the right of way.
Jacket
- Encasement by concrete poured around a
			 pipe.
Low Volume Roadway
- Under 2,000 ADT
Manhole
- An opening in an underground system which
			 workmen or others may enter for the purpose of making installations,
			 inspections, repairs, connections, and tests.
Median
- The portion of a divided highway separating
			 the traveled ways for traffic in opposite directions.
Normal
- Crossing at a right angle.
Oblique
- Crossing at an acute angle.
OSHA
- Occupational Safety & Health
			 Administration
Overfill
- Backfill above a pipe.
Pavement Structure
-The combination of subbase, base
			 course, and surface course placed on a subgrade to support the traffic load and
			 distribute it to the roadbed.
Pipe
- A tubular product made as a production item
			 for sale as such. Cylinders formed from plate in the course of the fabrication
			 of auxiliary equipment are not pipe as defined here.
Plowing
- Direct burial of utility lines by means of
			 a "plow" type mechanism which breaks the ground, places the utility line and
			 closes the break in the ground in a single operation,
Pressure
- Relative internal pressure in psig
			 (pounds per square inch gauge).
Right-of-Way
- A general term denoting land,
			 property, or interest therein, usually in a strip, acquired for or devoted to
			 transportation purposes.
Rigid Pipe
- Pipe designed for diametric deflection
			 of less than 1%.
Roadside
- A general term denoting the area
			 adjoining the outer edge of the roadway. Extensive areas between the roadways
			 of a divided highway may also be considered roadside.
Roadway
- The portion of a highway, including
			 shoulders, for vehicular use. A divided highway has two or more
			 roadways.
Roadway Cross Section
- That area of a highway
			 facility contained between the outside edges of backslopes/foreslopes (Divided
			 facilities, the term applies to each set of roadways).
Safety Rest Area
- A roadside area with parking
			 facilities separated from the roadway provided for motorists to stop and rest
			 for short periods. It may include drinking water, toilets, tables and benches,
			 telephones, information, and other facilities for travelers.
Scenic Overlook
- A roadside area provided for
			 motorists to stop their vehicles beyond the shoulder, primarily for viewing the
			 scenery in safety.
Semi-Rigid Pipe
- Pipe designed to tolerate from 1%
			 to 3% diametric deflection,
Shoulder
- The portion of the roadway contiguous
			 with the traveled way for accommodation of stopped vehicles, for emergency use,
			 and for lateral support of base and surface courses.
Sidefill
- Backfill alongside a pipe.
Slab, Floating
- Slab between but not contacting
			 pipe or pavement.
Sleeve
- Short casing through pier or abutment of
			 highway structure.
SubBase
- The layer or layers of specified or
			 selected material of designated thickness placed on a subgrade to support a
			 base course.
Subgrade
- The top surface of a roadbed upon which
			 the pavement structure and shoulders are constructed.
Toe-of-Slope
- The bottom of a slope of a fill or
			 cut area usually the lowest point of the slope.
Traffic Control Device
- Any sign, signal, marking,
			 or installation placed or erected under public authority for the purpose of
			 regulating, warning, or guiding traffic.
Traveled Way
- The portion of the roadway for the
			 movement of vehicles, exclusive of shoulders and auxiliary lanes.
Trenched
- Installed in a narrow open
			 excavation.
Untrenched
- Installed without breaking ground or
			 pavement surface, such as by jacking or boring.
Use and Occupancy agreement or Utility Permit
- The
			 document by which the highway authority regulates and/or gives approval of the
			 use and occupancy of highway right-of-way by utility facilities or private
			 lines.
Vent
- Appurtenance to discharge gaseous
			 contaminants from casing.
Walled
- Partially encased by concrete poured
			 alongside the pipe.
Wet Bore
- A hole is sluiced through the roadway
			 subgrade by jetting with water under high pressure.
PART I ACCOMMODATION OF UTILITIES ON HIGHWAY
		  RIGHT OF WAY
SECTION I
INTRODOCTION
101.
PURPOSE
To prescribe the policies and procedures for the accommodation of
			 utility facilities, both public and private on the rights-of-way of all
			 roadways and property within the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation
			 Department System.
102.
AUTHORITY
Under Arkansas Statutes,
			 27-67-218
			 and
			 27-67-304
			 public utilities may use highway right-of-way for the purpose of installing
			 utility facilities, provided such use will not interfere with the use of the
			 right-of-way for highway purposes. Utility owners must secure a permit and post
			 a bond prior to performing any work.
			 I nstallation of utility
			 facilities on highway right-of-way must be done in accordance with the rules
			 and regulations prescribed by the Arkansas State Highway Commission.
103. SCOPE
To authorize the Utilities Section, Right of Way Division,
			 Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department to, issue permits and
			 enter into agreements to provide for the installation, adjustments, relocation,
			 maintenance, or removal of utilities on highway right-of-way and property.
			 Issue permits for mechanical trimming and for use of chemicals for vegetation
			 control on highway rights-of-way and property. Cover existing and provide for
			 future joint use and occupancy of highway and utility rights-of-way and/or
			 properties by highway and utility facilities on, over, under or across the same
			 lands and under coincidental property rights or interests in accordance with
			 State Law and Federal rules and regulations.
104.
APPLICATION
This policy shall apply to the owners and operators of utility
			 facilities including but not limited to electric power, water, sewer, gas,
			 communications (telephone, telegraph, cable TV, and fiber optic or light guide
			 cables), chemical, oil, petroleum products, steam, storm water not connected
			 with highway drainage, irrigation and similar facilities.
This policy shall apply to all new installations, and to the
			 servicing, repair, restoration, relocation, rehabilitation, or removal of any
			 existing utility facilities where the roadway, roadside, right-of-way, or
			 traffic will be affected by the work operations or by the new facilities
			 occupancy.
105.
PRIOR
		  POLICY
The provisions of this Statement of Policy shall supersede and
			 void all prior Commission or Administrative Orders and/or Statements of Highway
			 Department Policy relating to the accommodation and/or adjustment of utilities
			 on highway rights-of-way, included in Commission Minute Order No. 70-300 dated
			 August 26, 1970 and Commission Order No, 77-80 dated February 23, 1977.
106.
EXCEPTIONS
Exceptions to any provisions of this policy may be authorized
			 under certain situations where it is shown that extreme hardship and/or unusual
			 conditions provide justification, and where alternate measures can be
			 prescribed in keeping with the intent of this policy.
Consideration of requests for exceptions on controlled access
			 highways will be in accordance with American Association of State Highway and
			 Transportation Official's (AASHTO) "A Policy On The Accommodation of Utilities
			 Within Freeway Right-of-Way" (current issue),
Any request for exceptions to this policy shall be submitted to
			 the Utilities Section for Departmental review and.approval.