Section 550.70  Commercial Driveway Requirements (Illustrations E and F)

a)         Width of Drive.  All commercial driveways shall be limited to a maximum width of 35 feet measured at right angles to the center line of the drive, exclusive of flares.  The width may be increased by permissible radii to allow for smooth ingress and egress at the highway connection.  The maximum permissible width for rural locations shall be 60 feet measured along a line 6 feet from and parallel to the roadway edge.  For urban locations, the maximum width shall be 85 feet measured at the face of the curb.

b)         Radius of Flare.  The flare used to connect the driveway to the roadway shall normally fall entirely within the right-of-way.  It may be permitted to go outside the right-of-way if raised curbing extends into the private property.  In rural locations, the radii shall be between 10 and 40 feet, while in urban cases they shall be between 10 and 25 feet.  In special cases, after consideration of the right-of-way width, proposed volumes, types of vehicles, speeds on the roadway, and parking regulations, radii outside these ranges may be permitted to allow for the efficient use of the driveway.  The geometrics necessary for smooth operation of the driveway may require the use of modified radii flares or three-center curves with or without island.

c)         Angular Placement.  The center line of a single driveway that services a commercial property should generally be at a right angle to the roadway or parallel to the property line.  The angle of the center line with the roadway may be reduced to 60 degrees for two-way driveways or 45 degrees for multiple entrances where the driveways will be used for one-way traffic. Angled driveways may be allowed for high-speed roadways and/or large volume movements.

d)         Location.

1)         Sufficient distance must be maintained between the property line and the edge of the driveway to allow for the construction of an adequate island between drives should the adjacent property owner desire to build an entrance. In rural locations, this distance shall be measured along a line 6 feet from and parallel to the roadway edge and should be a minimum of 5 feet.  In urban situations, a curb length of not less than 3 feet shall be left undisturbed adjacent to each property line.

2)         All commercial driveways shall be located to provide a specified minimum distance from the intersecting public roads.  This distance shall be measured along a line parallel to but not greater than 5 feet from the pavement edge. For rural locations, the minimum distance between the beginning of the flare and the edge of the intersecting road shall be 50 feet.  At urban locations, the beginning of the flare must be at least 5 feet from the extension of the near right-of-way line of the intersecting road.  In no case shall the distance between the point at which the edge of the driveway intersects the pavement edge and the line of the through traffic lane extended be greater than 5 feet.  Where a separate right-turn lane is provided, no part of the lane taper shall encroach on the highway flare.

e)         Islands.  Where a commercial establishment is serviced by more than one driveway, an island separator shall be provided and maintained between drives.  The back edge of this island measured along the right-of-way line should have a minimum length of 10 feet for rural and 6 feet for urban locations. The island width 6 feet from the edge of the highway must also meet these minimums. Where the island is less than 25 feet long or less than 10 feet in width, its shape shall be defined by the use of concrete curb, masonry, or other devices to restrict the path of vehicles using the driveways.