vos tiga arr Wate Rohan Interstate Highway standards From Wikipedia, the fre encyclopedia Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication 4 Policy on Design Standards: Interstate p ersiare Wy enstare ‘System. For a certain highway to be considered an Interstate Highvsay, it must meet these construction, requirements or obtain a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration, Blank markers wed for one- and Contents ‘two-digit (Let) or tneeigit and suffixed (right) Inertates, = 1 Standards = 2 Exceptions = 3 References #4 External links Standards ‘These standards are, as of July 2007, as follows: = Controlled access: Il access onto and off the roadway is to be controlled wit interchanges and grade separations (including railroad crossings). See List of gaps in Inerstate Highways fr the few cases that violate this rule Inerchanges should provide fll acess; ramps are to be designed with the appropriate standards in mind. Minimum interchange spacing should be 1 mi (1.6 km) in urban areas and 3 mi (4.8 km) in rural areas; collector/stributor roads or other configurations that reduce weaving ean be used in urban areas to shorten this distance. ‘A Totes Highway under ‘constuction, wth both dretions of 300 feet (91 m) in rural areas in each direction along the crossroad from the ramps. inc ayeomeadeorine Access control (from adjacent properties) should extend at least 100 feet (30 m) in urban areas and ‘© Minimum design spec ‘with 50-60 mph (80-95 kmh) aeceptable in rolling terain, and as low as $0 mph (80 krw/h) allowed in In rural areas, a minimam design speed of 70 mph (115 km/h) should be used, ronda ‘mountainous and urban areas Speed limits a low as 40 mph (65 km) are, however, occasionally encountered and genealy assigned to pre-existing freeways that were grandfathered inte the system + Sight distance, curvature and superelevation according to the current eiion of AASHITO's 4 Policy on Geomerric Design of Highways and Strets fr the design speed"! + Maximum grade: Maximum grade is determined by a design table based on erain and design speeds" with up to 6% generally allowed in mountainous areas and hilly urban areas with exceptions for up to 7% grades on mountainous roads with speed limits below 60 mph (95 kmh). 1.94 in Michigan showing examples = Minimum number of lanes: A‘ least two lanes in each direction, and more if necessary for an acceptable + y is of nom-interchange overpass signage love of service inthe design yea, according tothe current edition af AASHTO’ 4 Policy on Geometric ‘gman, apogee 0 Design of Highways and Streets, Climbing lenes and emergency escape ramps shouldbe provided where ht shoals, 1950s ves with ropriate, Brief one-lane ra 1at cither "deviate" off of multi-lane freeways to connect and mers aeseparrtiear arabe appropriate, Brief one-Ian ramps that either "dovat" off of mul-lane ficeways to mete swith another freeway (or one-ane bottlenecks fr less than a mile before another merging fceway) ae pall govad pent wah exempt rom tis requirement, hese exceptions ate mostly in rural ares Shoulder rable sips + Minimum lane width: Minimom lan width of 12 fest (3.7 m). Also for most US and state highways, + Shoulder width: Minimum ouside paved shoulder width of 10 fet (3.0 m) and inside shoulder with of 4 ay {eet (1.2 m). With three or more lanes in each direction, the inside paved shoulder should be at least 10 feet (6.0 m) wide. If tuck tafe is over 250 Directional Design Hour Volume, shoulders at least 12 feet (G7 m) wide should be considered. In mountainous terrain, 8 fet (2.4 m) outside and 4 fet (1.2 m) inside shoulders are acceptable, except whea there are atleast four lanes in each direction, in which case the inside shoulders should also be 8 fet (2.4 m) wide Pavement sloping: Pavement cross slope of at least 1.5% and preferably 2% lo ensure proper drainage on ‘Aa Interstate Highway bridge with an ssphalt overly fat sections. Ths can be increased to 2.5% in areas of heavy rainfall Shoulder cross slope should be between 2% and 6% but not less than the main lanes. ' Land slopes within the clear zone should be at most 4:1 and preferably 6:1 or flatter, Roadside barriers should be used for slopes of 3:1 or steeper, in accordance withthe current edition of AASHTO's Roadside Design Guide “Median width: Minimum median width of 36 fect (11 m) in ral area, and 10 fet (3.0 min urban or mountainous areas. To prevent median- crossing accidents, guard rail or Jersey barrier should be installed in medians in accordance withthe current edition of AASHTO's Roadside Design Guide, based on iratic, median width and erash history. When possible, median openings between parallel bridges less than 30 fect espanol Hn, °vos tiga arr Wate Rohan (0.1 m) in width should be decked over; otherwise barriers or guardrails should be installed to exclude vehicles from the gap. Recently, cable ‘median barriers are being installed on busier Interstate Highways in rural areas regardless of median width. 1 Recovery areas: No fixed objects should be in the clear recovery area, determined by the design spoed in accordance with the current edition of AASHTO’: Roadside Design Guide, When this is not possible, breakaway supports or barriers guarding the objects shall be used, = Curb slope: Vertical curbs are prohibited, loping curbs are to beat the edge of the paved shoulder, with a ‘maximum height of 100 millimetres (3.9 in). The combination of eurbs and guard rail i discouraged; in this case the guard rail should be closer tothe road than the eur. = Vertical clearance: Minimum vertical clearance under overhead structures (including aver the paved. shoulders) of 16 fet (4.9 m) in rural areas and 14 fet (4.3 m) in urban areas, with allowance for extra layers of pavement, Through urban areas at Least one routing should have 16-foot (4.9 m) clearances. Sign supports and pedestrian overpasses must be atleast 17 feet (5.2 m) above the road, except on urban routes with lesser clearance, where they should beat least 1 foot (30 em) higher than other objects = Horizontal clearance: under or along a bridge shall he the fll paved width of the rest of the road. Bridges Tonger than 200 feet (61 m) can be narrower, with a minimum of 4 feet (1.2 m) on both sides ofthe travel 1-10 entering the Twin Tunnel wes of Denver lanes. 1 Bridge strength: New bridges are to have at least MS 18 (HS-20) structural pacity. Weaker bridges that can continue to serve the route for 20, ‘more years are allowed to remain. * Additionally, existing bridges can remain if they have atleast 12-foot-wide (3.7 m) lanes with 10-foot (3.0 m) outside and 3,5-foot (1.1m) inside shoulders. Long bridges are to have at least 3.5 fect (1.1 m) on each side ofthe travel lanes; bridge railing should be upgraded to current standards if necessary ‘= Tunnel clearance: Tunnels should in theory be equivalent fo long overerossings, but because of cost the standards ean be reduced. Vertical clearance is the same as under bridges, including the provision for alternate routing. Width should be at least 44 feet (13 m), which consists of two 12-foot-wide (3.7 m) lanes, 10-foot (3.0 m) outside and S-foot (1.5 m) inside shoulders, and 2.5-foot (76 em) safety walkways on each side. If necessary to meet the dimensions ofthe approach, this can be shifted left or right. A reduced width is acceptable due to high cost, In this ease, the imum width is 30 feet (9.1 m), with a least 2 feet (61 em) more than the approach forthe sum ofthe shoulder widths, but atleast 24 feet (73 m) total, and atleast 15 feet (46 em) on each side for a safety walkway. Ifthere is no safety walkway, a3-foot (91 em) offset with a "safety shape” in the wal is acceptable Exceptions ‘The standards have been changed over the years, resulting in many older Interstates not conforming to the current standards, and yel others are not buill to standards because to do so would be too costly or environmentally ES a Some roads were grandfathered into the system. Most of these were toll roads that were built before the Interstate system came into existence or ‘were under construction atthe time President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956. The most notable example is the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which originally had a very narrow median that later required the installation ofa Jersey barrier due to heavy trafic ‘A narrow older "prandfahered™ Toads section of 1-96-69 after entering ‘Michigan from Saris, Ota, Interstate 35E through St, Paul, Minnesota is an example of a freeway Inteesat 93 super? through ‘hough itisbeing reconstructed fo that was not grandfathered into the system that is nonetheless an Franconia Noch, New Hampshire ‘modern standard. ‘exception o standards, The freeway was not opened until 1990, has 8 speed limit of 45 mph (70 km/h), and does not allow vehicles weighing ‘over 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg) GVW. This is due to a number of lawsuits ftom wealthy surrounding homeowners, which heavily delayed and modified the project dating tothe 1960s, Interstate 75 on the Mackinac Bridge between St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, Michigan, is undivided. The bridge was designed before the start ofthe Interstate Highway System, and it was grandfathered into the system." Interstate 93 through Franconia Notch, New Hampshire is also a notable exception being a super two parkway witha speed limit of 45 mph (70 knvh) All the unsigned Interstates in Alaska and Puerto Rico are exempt from Interstate Highway standards and are instead, per Title 28, Chapter 1, Section 103 of the U.S. Code, “designed in aecordaace with such geometric and construction standards as are adequate for current and probable future traffic ‘demands and the needs of the locality of the highway" 4! References 1. *#4€Stat 2001) A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (psa resource ore/psfibe 001 /aashlo green 2001,papage™S56) (PDF) (4th ed.) Washington, DC: American Associaton of Sat Highway and Transporation Oficial, pp. $07 (design speed), $10 (Exhibit $1: Maximum Grades for Rural and Urban Freeways) ISBN |-56051-1567, Revieved April 11,2018 2. * Port Huron Transportation Service Center. "I-16 Reconstruction in St, lat County” (a michigan govindov0,4616,7-151-9621_11008-251091-= escapee soe Hany, ”vos tiga arr Wate Rohan ,O0.hm. Michigan Deparment of Transportation, Retrieved July 3, 2012 3. Rubin, Lawrence A. (1985). Bridging the Strats: The tory of Might Mac. Detcoit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978.0-8143-1789-1 4. United States Congress. "Title 23, Chapter 1, Sesion §103" (hp/hwww ep, gow/fdsyspkg/USCODE- 1994, ie28/himlUSCODE. 1994-te23-chap- sec103 htm), US. Goveramen Pining Office, Retrieved May 31,2012, + Moterstate standards” (hip/roups google.com grouplmiss transport wad mse 4l88/22052"e94N), John Lansfard, employee North Carolina Deparment of Transporation, mise transport road newsgroup November 2, 1999 External links 1 Public Safety Standards, United States (Federal Government) (https:/law.resource.orp/pub/usiefrimanifestus html) - Offers free downloads of documents, including AASHTO's "A Policy on Design Standards’, that have been incorporated by reference into the US Code of Federal Regula sand can therefore be freely copied as edicts of government ‘© AASHTO Bookstore A Policy on Design Standards - Interstate System (htips:/bookstors transportation orgyitem_dctailsaspx?1D=1175) (ISBN 1560512911) Retrieved om "bitpi/en. wikipedia org w/index. php ersiate_Highway_standards&oldid=625048850" Categories: Interstate Highway System | Standards ofthe United States | Construction standards 1 This page was last modified on 11 September 2014, at 05:54 1 Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; ational terms may apply. 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