Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 37 - Transportation and Highways › Part 1 - Mississippi Department of Transportation › Subpart 7501 - Maintenance › Chapter 04013 - Driveway and Street Connections, Median Openings, Frontage Roads › DRIVEWAY CONNECTIONS TO CONVENTIONAL HIGHWAYS AND FRONTAGE ROADS (TYPE 3) › Section 37-1-7501-04013-501

Current through June 25, 2024
The location, design and construction of driveways
						described in the application shall be in accordance with the Access Management
						Manual, Section 3, Levels of Access for Type 3 Conventional Highways and as
						stated below:
1. No more than two (2)
					 combined driveway entrances and exits shall be permitted for any parcel of
					 property which has a frontage of three hundred (300) feet or less. Additional
					 entrances or exits for parcels having a frontage in excess of three hundred
					 (300) feet shall be permitted only if an additional entrance would create a
					 safer condition. Additional entrances or exits must be reviewed and recommended
					 by the State Traffic Engineer and approved by the State Maintenance Engineer or
					 the District Engineer as applicable. Where frontage is fifty (50) feet or less,
					 only one (1) combined entrance and exit is permitted, the width of which shall
					 not exceed twenty-five (25) feet measured parallel to the centerline of the
					 highway.
2. The width of any
					 driveway entrance or combined entrance and exit, except as restricted above
					 shall not exceed fifty (50) feet measured parallel to the centerline of the
					 highway. Areas on the right of way between driveways shall not be used for
					 vehicular travel or parking. These areas shall be considered as restricted
					 areas or neutral areas, and may be graded or filled in only as hereinafter
					 provided in SECTION 502 below.
3.
					 The grade of the driveway entrance and exit shall follow the shoulder slope for
					 a distance equal to the width of the shoulder or ten (10) feet from the
					 pavement edge, whichever is greater, and then continue on a 2% to 4% slope
					 downward and away from the roadway to a point twenty (20) feet from the
					 pavement edge. The driveway slope shall then continue on a slope not to exceed
					 15% until it connects with the original ground line. When field conditions are
					 such that a steeper driveway is required due to restricted right of way, the
					 driveway profile may be increased to 20% maximum.
4. The construction of parking areas on the
					 highway right of way is specifically prohibited. Businesses requiring parking
					 space for their customers shall provide such space off the highway right of
					 way.
5. Sections of driveway
					 entrances and exits constructed parallel to the highway for access to gasoline
					 pumps or other structures shall be constructed off the right of way. Such pumps
					 and other structures requiring parallel driveways are to be located a minimum
					 distance of twelve (12) feet, with fifteen (15) feet recommended to the edge of
					 the pump island, outside the right of way in order that the parallel section of
					 the driveway shall not encroach upon the right of way.
6. When curb and gutter is constructed or
					 removed and reconstructed, the driveway entrance and exit shall be constructed
					 or reconstructed of equivalent or other acceptable material, and the curbing
					 along the entrance and exit shall be returned to the roadway on a radius as
					 shown on MDOT Roadway Standard Drawing SD-1. Minimum Turning Radii shall
					 conform to the most current version of the MDOT Roadway Design Manual, Chapter
					 6. The grade of entrances and exits shall conform to the grade of sidewalks, if
					 any, and a neat junction between the apron of the entrances, exits, and the
					 sidewalk shall be made. Where such new entrance or exit will cause heavy
					 vehicular traffic or frequent light vehicular traffic to cross a sidewalk
					 designed for pedestrian traffic only and will not withstand the expected
					 vehicular traffic, the permit application will include removal and replacement
					 of the inadequate sidewalk. The new sidewalk and the portion of the driveway
					 where the new sidewalk extends across the driveway shall conform to the
					 requirements of the current edition of the Americans with Disabilities Act
					 Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). Transitions between the sidewalk and the
					 driveway surface and the slope and cross-slope of the driveway crossed by the
					 sidewalk are of particular importance.
7. All driveway entrances and exits shall be
					 so constructed that vehicles approaching or using them will have adequate
					 stopping sight distance in accordance with the current edition, and any interim
					 requirements, of the MDOT Roadway Design Manual - 3R criteria in both
					 directions along the highway in order that the driver may enter or leave the
					 highway without unduly interfering with highway traffic. Any driveway
					 application that does not provide adequate sight distance as outlined in the
					 above listed design manual shall be denied. In order to provide adequate
					 stopping sight distance in both directions when entering the highway, driveway
					 entrances and exits should be at a 90 degree angle. Angles less than 90 degrees
					 should not be constructed unless justified by an engineering analysis and in no
					 case shall be less than 60 degrees with the highway. For further guidance,
					 reference the Access Management Manual, Section 4.
8. Corner clearance is the distance between
					 an intersection and the first point of ingress or egress to a corner property's
					 driveway. The purpose of corner clearance is to remove conflicting movements
					 from the functional area of intersections and provide sufficient stacking space
					 for queued vehicles at intersections so that the driveways are not blocked. No
					 driveway will be permitted to enter directly into an intersection. Driveways
					 must turn traffic into the traffic stream of the highway and/or intersecting
					 road or street before it is permitted to pass through the intersection. Unless
					 an exception is granted, the minimum corner clearance for entrances on TYPE 2
					 and TYPE 3 Roads will be established by a queuing analysis or 125 feet for
					 unsignalized intersections and 125 feet for signalized intersections whichever
					 is larger. If an exception is requested and approved at an intersection where
					 no provision has been made for sight distance or clear vision areas (flared
					 right of way), no part of a driveway entrance or exit may be permitted to
					 connect with either the highway or crossroad or street within 50 feet from the
					 outside shoulder line of the adjacent street and the access will be a
					 right-in/right-out. Exceptions may be approved if as a result of MDOT action
					 the property would become landlocked. No part of a driveway entrance or exit
					 may be permitted within a corner radius.
9. No part of a driveway entrance or exit may
					 be permitted to encroach upon additional right of way secured outside the
					 continuation of the normal right of way lines for the purpose of channeling
					 traffic or to provide adequate sight distance or clear vision for intersecting
					 traffic. The driveway return will begin at a point no nearer such additional
					 right of way than its point of intersection with the normal right of way line
					 of the highway and its intersection with the normal right of way line of the
					 crossroads or street. These areas described here and in SECTION 501.8 above
					 shall be restricted areas and may be graded or filled in only as hereinafter
					 permitted in SECTION 502 below.
10.
					 At some intersections additional right of way has been secured for construction
					 purposes and not for channeling traffic or for sight distance. The project
					 plans should be checked to determine the reason for purchase of such additional
					 right of way. Driveway entrances and exits complying with all other
					 requirements may encroach into the additional area purchased for construction
					 purposes, but they may not be permitted to encroach into any part of the
					 additional right of way purchased for channeling traffic or purchased for or
					 necessary for sight distance or clear vision for intersecting traffic. The
					 denial of vehicular ingress and egress across sight distance or clear vision
					 areas on the older projects is based upon the regulatory powers of the
					 Commission in connection with traffic safety. Additionally, on the newer
					 projects, the plans may show the erection of traffic barriers along the outer
					 limits of additional right of way purchased for sight distance or clear vision
					 areas, which is considered sufficient notice to the property owner of the
					 conditions under which the right of way was purchased.
11. The minimum driveway spacing shall be
					 determined based Section 3 and Appendix 4 of the MDOT Access Management
					 Manual.
12. SECTIONS 501.8, 501.9,
					 and 501.10 above and the MDOT Access Management Manual will also apply at
					 frontage road intersections with other roads and streets.