Shoulders are of considerable value on highspeed facilities such as freeways and rural highways. Wide, surfaced shoulders provide a suitable, all-weather area for stopped vehicles to be clear of the travel lanes. Shoulders, in addition to serving as emergency parking, lend lateral support to travel lane pavement structure, provide a maneuvering area, increase sight distance of horizontal curves, and give drivers a sense of safe, open roadway. Design values for shoulder widths for the various classes of highways are shown in the appropriate subsequent portions of this manual.

Shoulders must be fully surfaced at least for the respective specified minimum width of each functional classification and context classification. Where a greater than minimum width shoulder is provided, partial (not less than minimum width) surfacing or full width surfacing may be provided at the option of the designer. The maximum cross slope of all unsurfaced shoulders must not exceed 1V:10H.

Additionally, projects must be assessed to determine if bicycle accommodations are required on the shoulder per , they must meet the additional requirements specified in . Bike accessible shoulders must be fully surfaced for the entire width.

Shoulder widths on bridge structures are measured from the nominal face of rail to the edge of traveled way. For additional guidance in reference to current standard bridge railings in Texas, reference TxDOT’s and the applicable Bridge Railing Standard.

On rural town, urban and urban core collectors and local streets, parking lanes may be provided instead of shoulders. On arterial streets, parking lanes decrease capacity and generally are discouraged.

Subsequent sections of this manual identify appropriate shoulder widths for the various classes of highway and street facilities.