Section 5: Closures of State Right of Way
Policy
Texas Administrative Code, Rule
,
established rules and procedures for the temporary closure of a
segment of the state highway system, and agreements have been developed
in accordance with those rules and procedures. Agreements are not
required for certain situations such as routine traffic control
or competitive bicycle races that do not completely restrict vehicular
traffic in one or both directions. Routine traffic control is defined
as the handling of events which last no more than four hours at
one location and no more than nine consecutive total hours for moving
events. Examples of these events include parades, marches, and other
such events, and use authorized law enforcement personnel who accept
the responsibility for traffic control.
Incorporated Agreement
On the occasion of a special event, a city may enter into
an agreement with TxDOT, authorizing the city to temporarily close
a portion of the state highway right of way. State highway right
of way is defined as the right of way of a highway designated as
part of the state highway system. The special event will be located
within the city's incorporated area. The State, in recognition of
the public purpose of the event, wishes to cooperate with the city
so long as the safety and convenience of the traveling public is
ensured and that the closure of the state's right-of-way will be
performed within the state's requirements. These types of closures
may be requested using the
"Agreement for the Temporary Closure of State Right
of Way." A multi-year agreement is available for events that occur
annually and do not change substantially from year to year.
Unincorporated Agreement
For special events located outside a city's incorporated area,
the group wishing to temporarily close a portion of the state highway
right of way must also enter into an agreement with TxDOT. These types
of closures may be requested using the form
, “Agreement for the Temporary Closure of State Right-of-Way
(Unincorporated).” A multi-year agreement is available for events that
occur annually and do not change substantially from year to year.
Guidelines
The district engineer must approve temporary closure agreements. The same basic guidelines apply when considering closure agreements for both incorporated and unincorporated areas. For more information about these agreements, see the .