Code of Maine Rules › 01 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY › 672 - LAND USE PLANNING COMMISSION (formerly Land Use Regulation Commission) › Chapter 15 - GUIDELINES FOR PRIVATE ROADS OR WAYS IN THE LAND USE PLANNING COMMISSION'S MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS › Section 672-15-04 - Construction Techniques

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
(Refer to Handbook, Section 6 )
1. During road construction, reasonable
				measures should be undertaken to control water runoff and erosion in order to
				avoid sedimentation of water bodies.
2. Drainage ditches should be provided
				whenever necessary to effectively control water entering and leaving the road
				area.
3. Cut and fill sections and
				road banks should be effectively stabilized so as to prevent erosion or
				slumping.
4. In order to prevent
				road surface drainage from directly entering water bodies, roads and their
				associated drainage ditches, should be located, constructed and maintained so
				as to leave an unscarified filter strip, of at least the width indicated in the
				following table, between the exposed mineral soil of the road and the normal
				high water mark of the surface waterbody or water course:
Average Slope of Land Between Exposed Mineral
							 Soil and Normal High Water Mark (Percent)
Width of Strip Between Exposed Mineral Soil and
							 Normal High Water Mark (Feet Along Surface of the Ground)
0
25
10
45
20
65
30
85
40
105
50
125
60
145
70
165
This guideline shall not apply to road approaches to water
				  crossings.
5. Drainage
				ditches for roads approaching a water crossing should be designed, constructed,
				and maintained to empty into an unscarified filter strip, of at least the width
				indicated in the table set forth in Subsection 4 above, between the outflow
				point of the ditch and the normal high water mark of the waterbody. Where such
				filter strip is impracticable, other appropriate techniques should be used to
				reasonably avoid sedimentation of the waterbody. Such techniques may include
				the installation of sump holes or settling basins, and/or the effective use of
				additional ditch relief culverts and ditch water turnouts placed so as to
				reasonably avoid sedimentation of the waterbody.
6. Cross drainage culverts or drainage dips
				should be installed to get drainage water from the uphill side of the road to
				the downhill side before the flow in drainage ditches or roads gains sufficient
				volume or head to cause erosion and water sedimentation.
Drainage water on the downhill side of the road should be
				  diverted from the road ditch into vegetated areas by installation of water
				  turnouts spaced so as to prevent the flow in the ditch from gaining sufficient
				  volume or head to cause erosion and water sedimentation.
Such water diversion structures should be located and
				  constructed as follows:
a. Drainage
				dips should be used in place of ditch relief culverts only where the road grade
				is 10 percent or less. Such dips should be constructed so that the road slope
				is reversed, the base of the dip drains to the outslope, and the surface of the
				dip is graveled.
b. On roads having
				slopes greater than 10%, ditch relief culverts should be placed across the road
				at approximately a 30 degree angle downslope from a line perpendicular to the
				center line of the road.
c.
				Culverts and drainage dips should also be installed so as to direct drainage
				water onto a unscarified filter strip.
d. Inlet end of culverts should extend into
				side ditches to intercept ditch flows and should be adequately stabilized by
				riprap or other suitable means to reasonably avoid erosion of material around
				the culvert.
e. Culverts, drainage
				dips, and water turnouts should be spaced along the road at intervals which are
				sufficient to prevent the water flow in drainage ditches or roads from gaining
				sufficient volume or head to cause erosion and water sedimentation.
As a general guide, culverts, dips and water turnouts should
				  be space as follows:
ROAD GRADE
Percent
SPACING
feet
1-2
1,000
3-5
800-500
6-10
400-200
11-15
180-130
16-20
125-120
f.
				Cross drainage culverts should be sufficiently sized and properly installed in
				order to allow for drainage of storm or spring water runoff.