Washington Administrative Code › Title 468 - Transportation, Department of (See Title 88) › Chapter 468-52 - Highway access management - Access control classification system and standards › Section 468-52-040 - Access control classification system and standards

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
This section provides an access control classification system
				consisting of five classes. The functional characteristics and the access
				control design standards for each class are described. The classes are arranged
				from the most restrictive, class one, to the least restrictive, class five.
				This access control classification system does not include highways or portions
				thereof that have been established as limited access highways in compliance
				with chapter 47.52
				RCW. For state highways that are planned for the establishment of limited
				access control in accordance with the
Master Plan for Limited Access
				Highways
, an access control classification will be assigned to each
				highway segment to remain in effect until such time that the facility is
				established as a limited access facility.
On all access classes, property access shall be located and
				designed to minimize interference with transit facilities and/or high occupancy
				vehicle (HOV) facilities on state highways where such facilities exist or where
				such facilities are proposed in a state, regional, metropolitan, or local
				transportation plan. In such cases, if reasonable access is available from the
				general street system, primary property access shall be provided from the
				general street system rather than from the state highway.
(1) Class one.
(a) Functional characteristics:
These highways have the capacity for safe and efficient high
				speed and/or high volume traffic movements, providing for interstate,
				interregional, and intercity travel needs and some intracity travel needs.
				Service to abutting land is subordinate to providing service to major traffic
				movements. Highways in this class are typically distinguished by a highly
				controlled, limited number of public and private connections, restrictive
				medians with limited median openings on multilane facilities, and infrequent
				traffic signals.
(b) Access
			 control design standards:
(i) It is the intent
			 that the design of class one highways be generally capable of achieving a
			 posted speed limit of fifty to sixty-five mph. Spacing of intersecting streets,
			 roads, and highways shall be planned with a minimum spacing of one mile.
			 One-half mile spacing may be permitted, but only when no reasonable alternative
			 access exists.
(ii) Private direct
			 access to the state highway shall not be permitted except when the property has
			 no other reasonable access to the general street system. The following
			 standards will be applied when direct access must be provided:
(A) The access connection shall continue
			 until such time that other reasonable access to a highway with a less
			 restrictive access control classification or access to the general street
			 system becomes available and is permitted.
(B) The minimum distance to another public or
			 private access connection shall be one thousand three hundred twenty feet.
			 Nonconforming connection permits may be issued to provide access to parcels
			 whose highway frontage, topography, or location would otherwise preclude
			 issuance of a conforming connection permit; however, variance permits are not
			 allowed. No more than one connection shall be provided to an individual parcel
			 or to contiguous parcels under the same ownership.
(C) All private direct access shall be for
			 right turns only on multilane facilities, unless special conditions warrant and
			 are documented by a traffic analysis in the connection permit application,
			 signed and sealed by a qualified professional engineer, registered in
			 accordance with
			 chapter
			 18.43 RCW.
(D) No additional access connections to the
			 state highway shall be provided for newly created parcels resulting from
			 property divisions. All access for such parcels shall be provided by internal
			 road networks. Access to the state highway will be at existing permitted
			 connection locations or at revised connection locations, as conditions
			 warrant.
(iii) A
			 restrictive median shall be provided on multilane facilities to separate
			 opposing traffic movements and to prevent unauthorized turning
			 movements.