Section 4: Roadside Drainage

General Roadside Drainage Guidelines

Roadside drainage appurtenances should be preserved as near as practical to the originally constructed or subsequently modified conditions to assure normal runoff is collected and removed from the roadway and/or right of way. Such appurtenances include:
  • ditches
  • gutters
  • side drains
  • outlets
  • irrigation ditches.

Maintenance and Repair

Drainage appurtenances can be clogged by the following obstructions:
  • silting
  • erosion
  • earth slides
  • excessive brush and vegetation.
Obstructions should be removed as soon as practical when they create conditions that could restrict flow.

Erosion Control

TxDOT's maintenance activities occasionally require erosion control measures. The primary tool to reduce erosion is the timely revegetation of disturbed areas. For additional information, see the reference manual for revegetation activities, .