Chapter 7. Special Encroachments

Encroachments
ARTICLE 1 General
Caltrans allows encroachments in the State highway right-of-way in accordance with federal and
State regulations. Encroachments allow temporary use of the State right-of-way for purposes other
than transportation by a public utility, public entity, or private party. Encroachments include any
temporary break in access or other use of the highway right-of-way including grading or removing
materials by public agencies, developers, or private individuals.
Those that desire to occupy highway right-of-way must prepare an encroachment permit application
and submit all required documentation and exhibits to the Caltrans district permit engineer. The
district permit engineer evaluates the applicable policies and assesses the potential impacts of
proposed encroachments on the operation and safety of the highway.
The project team producing plans for highway improvements must identify and plot all facilities that
are within the project limits (including State-owned facilities) and determine if the installations are
consistent with these encroachment policies or if the facilities must be modified or relocated outside
the right-of-way. For the districts that have the specialty utility engineering service group, the utility
engineering workgroup (UEW) can take on these project engineer responsibilities.
The project team or utility owner must submit electronic files (vector files) of the location data for
any installation (including relocation), and any location data collected on existing utilities within the
project limits for inclusion in the Caltrans utility database.
Utility owners with prior rights detailed in a joint use agreement (JUA) or consent to common use
agreement (CCUA) may receive direct access to the highway right-of-way to conduct maintenance;
the type of access is described within the agreement. The utility owner must provide a copy of the
documentation of the prior right when submitting the permit application.
Caltrans authorizes encroachments in the highway right-of-way through the encroachment permit
process. A permit is issued to the permittee for the purpose of providing a notice and record of work.
ARTICLE 2 Definitions
Access control the full or partial restriction of access to owners or occupants of abutting lands to or
from a highway. Also see Highway Design Manual (HDM) Topic 104 Control of Access.
Chapter 7. Special Encroachments

7.1 Purpose This chapter describes the Department's process and standard of review to allow
other entities to grade, landscape or otherwise conduct roadside encroachment activity within,
under, or over State Highway and other limited access R/W. These actions will be allowed by
permit from the Department as described in this document. Refer to GDOT Policies 6755-9 and
6755-11 for additional information. 7.2 Scope The following activities are exempt from permits,
but will still be required to comply with requirements in the GDOT Policy 6755-9: Contractors
under a State Highway construction contract with GDOT and operating within their contract
limits, Consultants under GDOT contract, Local agency forces with a maintenance agreement
operating within their jurisdictional boundaries and within the scope of their maintenance
responsibilities. Litter pick-up groups that have registered or receive oversight through the
Adopt-A-Highway or Sponsor-AHighway programs administered by the Office of Maintenance.
Billboard companies operating within the limits of a Vegetation Management at Outdoor
Advertising signs permit. No encroachment activity is allowed prior to obtaining a Special
Encroachment Permit. Any special encroachment permits that may be issued by the Department
affecting the operation of Interstate R/W are subject to review and approval by the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) before they are issued by GDOT. The FHWA has final
approval authority. There is no real or implied commitment intended in this policy to require the
Department to issue a permit for any work on limited access R/W. Special Encroachments will
generally not be allowed on active construction projects. An encroachment permit is not a
property right. It authorizes only the applicant or the applicant's agent to perform work. The
applicant may not transfer or assign a permit to another party. The responsibility for maintenance
of permitted roadside landscape activities that are constructed on the R/W by entities other than
the Department shall be borne by the permit entity. 7.3 Allowable Encroachment Activities It is
the desire of the Department to balance the requests of local government agencies, organizations,
and owners of property adjacent to the interstate highways and other freeways and State Routes
while providing a facility that possesses the optimum of utility, safety, beauty resource
protection, and economy. The following sections describe the general requirements and the types
of activities that may be allowed. Regulations for Driveway & Encroachment Control Manual
Rev 4.0 7. Special Encroachments 3/15/16 Page 7-2 7.3.1 Replacement of Limits of Access
(L/A) Fence All L/A fencing removed during construction must be replaced. If not removed
during construction, replacement of L/A fencing may be considered for the following reasons: 1.
To provide greater protection from R/W encroachments from adjacent property as well as
improve security for adjacent development. The replacement shall be in conformance with the
following: 1. The L/A fence must be replaced with Georgia DOT standard fencing, in like kind
or 6' chain link, or as directed by the Engineer, along the original location. The applicant must
either replace the L/A fence at the end of each day of work or install a temporary construction
fence. 2. No gates will be allowed along the L/A on interstate rights of way. 3. If fencing other
than the standard woven wire or chain link in conformance to GDOT standards is proposed, it
must be installed a minimum of one foot inside the applicant's property and the applicant must
agree to maintain the fence. (L/A fence must be in place.) Submit fence detail. The fence must be
approved by Department prior to installation. 4. The fence must be replaced, if removed by the
applicant.
Control of access[edit]
Control of access relates to a legal status which limits the types of vehicles that can use a highway,
as well as a road design that limits the points at which they can access it.
Freeways are usually limited to motor vehicles of a minimum power or weight; signs may
prohibit cyclists, pedestrians and equestrians and impose a minimum speed. It is possible for non-
motorized traffic to use facilities within the same right-of-way, such as sidewalks constructed along
freeway-standard bridges and multi-use paths next to freeways such as the Suncoast Trail along
the Suncoast Parkway in Florida.
De Lucht Rest Area on the Dutch A2 - A typical rest area in the Netherlands with services (fuel, refreshments
and toilets). The only access is via the highway that it serves.
In some US jurisdictions, especially where freeways replace existing roads, non-motorized access
on freeways is permitted. Different states of the United States have different laws. Cycling on
freeways in Arizona may be prohibited only where there is an alternative route judged equal or better
for cycling.[20] Wyoming, the least populated state, allows cycling on all freeways. Oregon allows
bicycles except on specific urban freeways in Portland and Medford.[21]
In countries such as the United Kingdom new motorways require an Act of Parliament to ensure
restricted right of way. Since upgrading an existing road (the "Queen's Highway") to a full motorway
will result in extinguishing the right of access of certain groups such as pedestrians, cyclists and
slow-moving traffic, many controlled access roads are not full motorways.[22] In some cases
motorways are linked by short stretches of road where alternative rights of way are not practicable
such as the Dartford Crossing (the furthest downstream public crossing of the River Thames) or
where it was not economic to build a motorway alongside the existing road such as the
formerCumberland Gap. The A1 is a good example of piece-wise upgrading to motorway standard
as of January 2013, the 639-kilometre-long (397 mi) route had five stretches of motorway
(designated as A1(M)).
Continental European non-motorway dual carriageways can have limits as high as 110130 km/h
(6881 mph).
Research shows 85 percent of motor vehicle-bicycle crashes follow turning or crossing at

intersections.[23] Freeway travel eliminates almost all those conflicts save at entrance and exit
rampswhich, at least on those freeways where cycling has not been banned, have sufficient room
and sight for cyclists and motorists. An analysis of crashes in Arizona showed no safety problems
with cycling on freeways. Fewer than one motor vehicle-bicycle crash a year was recorded on nearly
3,200 shoulder kilometres (2,000 mi) open to cyclists in Arizona.[24]
Major arterial roads will often have partial access control, meaning that side roads will intersect the
main road at grade, instead of using interchanges, but driveways may not connect directly to the
main road, and drivers must use intersecting roads to access adjacent land. At arterial junctions with
relatively quiet side roads, traffic is controlled mainly by two-way stop signs which do not impose
significant interruptions on traffic using the main highway. Roundabouts are often used at busier
intersections in Europe because they help minimize interruptions in flow, while traffic signals that
create greater interference with traffic are still preferred in North America. There may be occasional
interchanges with other major arterial roads. Examples include US 23 between SR 15's eastern
terminus and Delaware, Ohio, along with SR 15 between its eastern terminus and I-
75, US 30,SR 29/US 33, and US 35 in western and central Ohio. This type of road is sometimes
called an expressway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled-access_highway
Highways Department Guidance Notes No. RD/GN/021
Guidelines on Traffic Impact Assessment
1. Introduction
1.1 In mid 1994 the Road Opening Working Party (ROWP) chaired by Secretary for Works decided
to require utility undertakers to carry out Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) for any proposed utility
works on traffic sensitive routes. This requirement was implemented in stages and from April 1995
the TIA requirement applies to 126 roads / road sections. In December 1994 the ROWP decided to
ban day time utility works on 45 traffic sensitive road sections. This Guidance Note contains a
consolidated guidelines on these two requirements.
1.2 The requirements stipulated by ROWP are for utility works. Subsequently Highways Department
(HyD) decided to follow the TIA requirement for inhouse works and to comply with the day-time
ban requirement as far as practicable. It is recognised that it will not be in the interest of the public to
restrict certain highway works to night time such as construction of elevated road or road
construction.
2. TIA Requirement
2.1 Objective
The main objectives of TIA are
a) to assess the anticipated traffic implications of carrying out road works;
b) to devise appropriate temporary traffic management measures to ameliorate the

traffic impact of the road works.
2.2 List of roads affected
The list of roads where TIA requirements shall apply is given in Appendix 1 and
includes Red Routes and Pink Routes and some other traffic sensitive routes.
2.3 Types of works affected

The TIA requirement shall apply to the following types of works which will affect vehicle movements
including works on footways involving diversion of pedestrians onto the adjoining carriageway
a) any works requiring an excavation permit from the HyD including but not limited to
utility works implemented by utility undertakers and road opening works by
other public bodies or private developers; and
b) HyD capital works projects, road improvement works and maintenance works.
2.4 Exemption
Exemptions will not generally be allowed. Exceptional application for exemption

should be submitted to the concerned Traffic Engineering (TE) Division of Transport
Department (TD) on a case by case basis. The limited circumstances where exemptions
have been granted are as follows:
a) Emergency works (for utility works, the list of emergency works agreed between
utility undertakers and HyD shall apply).
b) Works involving night work only are generally exempted except a few critical routes
such as Cross Harbour Tunnel Approach Roads. The concerned TE Division
of TD must be notified and consulted in advance. Night work is defined as
work within the following period
1
2200-0600 hours for Strategic Road Networks (SRN) 2000-
0600 hours for other roads.
c) Works which is expected to cause minimal impact to traffic flow as confirmed on a

case by case basis by the concerned TE Division of TD. Despite the exemption
on TIA requirement, the day-time ban requirement may still apply to such
works. Examples are routine road lighting maintenance works such as lamp
replacement, lantern cleaning, pole painting and mechanical pole testing and
lighting works where excavations are carried out in the pedestrian ways and
outside the peak periods which are 7am - 10am and 4pm - 8pm in general.
2.5 Procedures
a) A TIA Report outlining the findings and recommendations of the TIA shall be
prepared. Guidelines on preparing TIA Reports (including estimation of road
capacity) are given in Appendix 2.
b) One copy of TIA Report shall be submitted to the concerned TE Division of TD

with copy sent to the Commissioner of Police, and if the proposed works is
within the Area Traffic Control areas to the Area Traffic Control Division of
TD.
SRN consists of both rural and urban trunk roads which generally have route numbers assigned to them
RD/GN/021 - Guidelines on TIA and Day-time Ban Requirements page 2 1
c) The concerned TE Division of TD will normally reply within three weeks after the submission.
d) Applications for excavation permits will not be processed until the related TIA
Report has been approved by TD.
e) For capital works projects, assessment of traffic impact shall be carried out during the planning
stage in consultation with TD and the Commissioner of Police. Depending on the complexity of any
traffic management measures required, it may be necessary to set up a Traffic Management Group
at the construction stage to consider and fine tune those measure

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Encroachments

Chapter 7. Special Encroachments

Research shows 85 percent of motor vehicle-bicycle crashes follow turning or crossing at

Highways Department Guidance Notes No. RD/GN/021

Guidelines on Traffic Impact Assessment

The main objectives of TIA are

a) to assess the anticipated traffic implications of carrying out road works;

b) to devise appropriate temporary traffic management measures to ameliorate the

2.2 List of roads affected

2.3 Types of works affected

Exemptions will not generally be allowed. Exceptional application for exemption

c) Works which is expected to cause minimal impact to traffic flow as confirmed on a

b) One copy of TIA Report shall be submitted to the concerned TE Division of TD

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