Section 231.03. Location, design and construction requirements — general.

  The location, design, and construction of a driveway shall conform to the following:

(1)  A driveway shall be located and restricted as to width as necessary so that the entire driveway roadway and its appurtenances are contained within the frontage along the highway of the property served. At public highway intersections a driveway shall not provide direct ingress or egress to or from the public highway intersection area and shall not encroach on or occupy areas of the roadway or right of way deemed necessary for effective traffic control or for highway signs or signals. A driveway shall be so located and constructed that vehicles approaching or using it will have adequate sight distance in both directions along the highway.

(2)  The number of driveways permitted serving a single property frontage along a state trunk highway shall be the minimum deemed necessary by the department for reasonable service to the property without undue impairment of safety, convenience, and utility of the highway.

(3)  The island area on the right of way between successive driveways or adjoining a driveway and between the highway shoulder and right-of-way line shall remain unimproved for vehicular travel or parking. Such areas shall be considered as restricted and may be filled in or graded down only as hereinafter provided in sub. (7) .

(4)  The surface of the driveway connecting with rural-type highway sections shall slope down and away from the highway shoulder a sufficient amount and distances to preclude ordinary surface water drainage from the driveway area flowing onto the highway roadbed.

(5)  The driveway may not obstruct or impair drainage in highway side ditches or roadside areas. Driveway culverts, where necessary, shall be adequate for surface water drainage along the highway and in no case less than the equivalent of 15-inch diameter pipe. The distance between culverts under successive driveways shall be not less than 10 feet except as such restricted area is permitted to be filled in under the provisions of sub. (7) .

(6)  When curb or gutter is removed for constructing a driveway, the new connections shall be of equivalent acceptable material and curb returns provided or restored in a neat, workmanlike manner. The driveway surface shall connect with the highway pavement and the sidewalk, if any, in a neat, workmanlike manner. The driveway construction shall include replacement of sidewalk areas which are inadequate or become damaged by reason of vehicular travel across the sidewalk.

(7)  The restricted area between successive driveways may be filled in or graded down only when the following requirements are fully complied with:

(a) The filling in or grading down shall be to grades approved by the department and, except where highway drainage is by means of curb and gutter, water drainage of the area shall be directed away from the highway roadbed in a suitable manner.

(b) Culvert extension under the restricted area shall be of like size and equivalent acceptable material of the driveway culvert, and intermediate manholes adequate for clean-out purposes may be required where the total culvert length exceeds 100 feet.

(c) Where no highway side ditch separates the restricted area from the highway roadbed, permanent provision may be required to separate the area from the highway roadbed, to prevent its use for driveway or parking purposes, by construction of a border, curb, rail, or posts deemed adequate by the department.

History: 1-2-56 ; am. (2), (5), (7) (a) and (c), Register, January, 2001, No. 541 , eff. 2-1-01.