Section 441.7. General driveway requirements

(a) General rule. Driveways shall be located, designed, constructed and maintained in such a manner as not to interfere or be inconsistent with the design, maintenance and drainage of the highway.

(b) General location restrictions. Access driveways shall be permitted at locations in which:

(1) Sight distance is adequate to safely allow each permitted movement to be made into or out of the access driveway.

(2) The free movement of normal highway traffic is not impaired.

(3) The driveway will not create a hazard.

(4) The driveway will not create an area of undue traffic congestion on the highway.

(c) Specific location restrictions. Specific location restrictions shall include the following:

(1) Access driveways may not be located at interchanges, ramp areas, or locations that would interfere with the placement and proper functioning of highway signs, signals, detectors, lighting or other devices that affect traffic control.

(2) The location of a driveway near a signalized intersection may include a requirement that the permittee provide, in cooperation with the municipality, new or relocated detectors, signal heads, controller and the like, for the control of traffic movements from the driveway.

(3) Access to a property which abuts two or more intersecting streets or highways may be restricted to only that roadway which can more safely accommodate its traffic.

(4) The Department may require the permittee to locate an access driveway directly across from a highway, local road, or access driveway on the opposite side of the roadway if it is judged that offset driveways will not permit left turns to be made safely or that access across the roadway from one access to the other will create a safety hazard.

(d) Local roads. An access intended to serve more than three properties or to act as a connecting link between two or more roadways shall be, for the purpose of this chapter, considered a local road and not a driveway regardless of its ownership. As such, its design must be in accordance with the Department’s current standards governing the design of local roads. All other requirements of this chapter shall be complied with before the local road will be allowed access onto a State highway.

(e) Number of driveways. The number and location of entrances which may be granted will be based on usage, interior and exterior traffic patterns, and current design policy of the Department.

(1) Normally, only one driveway will be permitted for a residential property and not more than two driveways will be permitted for a nonresidential property.

(2) If the property frontage exceeds 600 feet, the permit may authorize an additional driveway.

(3) Regardless of frontage, a development may be restricted to a single entrance/exit driveway, served by an internal collector road separated from the traveled way.

(f) Approaches to driveways. Driveway approaches shall conform to the following standards:

(1) The location and angle of an access driveway approach in relation to the highway intersection shall be such that a vehicle entering or leaving the driveway may do so in an orderly and safe manner and with a minimum of interference to highway traffic.

(2) Where the access driveway approach and highway pavement meet, flaring of the approach may be necessary to allow safe, easy turning of vehicular traffic.

(3) Where the highway is curbed, driveway approaches shall be installed 1 1/2 inches above the adjacent highway or gutter grade to maintain proper drainage. See Figure 5.