Understanding Roadway Features and Regulations
Roadway Terminology
Definitions
Trace Conditioning: The modernization of a highway affecting its cross-section, plant, or design.
Berma: A longitudinal strip, paved or unpaved, between the outer edge of the curb or shoulder and the slope.
Calzada Service: Service road.
Agricultural Way: Service road primarily for access to rural properties, with traffic mainly consisting of agricultural tractors and machinery.
Road Service: Built as an auxiliary or complement to the specific activities of the owners.
Beltway: A road surrounding all or part of a population, linking traffic flows to them.
Duplication of Road: Modernization involving building a separate roadway alongside the existing one to allocate each to a single direction of movement.
Widening of Platforms: Modernization that extends the cross-section of a highway.
Improvement of Surface: Road modernization aimed at restoring or increasing the strength or surface characteristics of the pavement.
New Stretch of Road: The result of constructing a new road or duplicating an existing roadway.
Platform: Road area intended for vehicle use, consisting of the carriageway, verges, and affirmed berms.
Alternative Population: Highway modernization affecting its path, avoiding or replacing a cruise or urban section.
Alternative Path: Modernization involving a change in the road’s path or elevation for a total length exceeding 10 kilometers.
Vía Service: Path substantially parallel to a road, connected to it only in places, serving adjacent properties or buildings.
Interurban Way Features
Main Road
- Constituted by the State Network of Interest and Principal Autonomic Network.
- Links communities and major cities.
- Long-distance traffic.
- Reduced access.
- Traffic junctions resolved through links and intersections.
Secondary Roads
- Provincial and Regional Networks.
- Communication from Regional Centers.
- Increasing long-distance traffic.
- Poor accessibility.
- Regulated by at-grade intersections.
Local Roads
- Linking small towns.
- Short-distance trips.
- High accessibility.
Roads
- Access to small properties.
- Low traffic.
Urban Way Features
Urban Highways
- In major cities.
- No access to properties.
- High traffic volume.
- Travels over 5 km, intersections resolved through links.
- Entry and exit points are far apart.
Main Artery
- Backbone of small towns.
- Links the main areas of a city.
- Travels exceeding 2 km, reduced accessibility.
- Numerous means of regulation.
- Crosses settled through intersections and links.
Collector-Distributor
- Significant traffic originates from or goes to the street.
- Usually allows access to adjacent buildings.
- Intersections are at-grade.
- Regulatory systems may exist at intersections and mid-street.
Local
- Many vehicles originate from or go to the street.
- High accessibility to buildings.
- Intersections are resolved at-grade.
- Few regulatory systems.
Public Domain Area
Land for state highways and functional elements are considered public domain:
- A strip of land 8 meters wide for roads and expressways.
- 3 meters wide for other roads.
Works and Facilities
- Only works or installations in the public domain of the road require approval from the Ministry when public interest necessitates it.
- No works or facilities can compromise road safety, harm the road structure, or hinder its operation.
- Works related to access to a service station are permitted with proper authorization.
- Exceptionally, infrastructure for essential public services of general interest can be implemented or built.
- Works or facilities should be located outside the road excavation, except for crossings, tunnels, bridges, and viaducts.
Easement Area
The easement area of state roads consists of two strips of land on either side:
- Inside the public domain area.
- Externally by two parallel lines to the outer edges of the excavation, 25 meters away in highways, roads, and expressways, and 8 meters away in other roads.
Works and Facilities
- Works or installations within the easement area require prior authorization from the Ministry and must be compatible with road safety.
- The Ministry can use or authorize the use of the easement area for general interest or road service improvement.
- Channeling and water channels can run through the road.
- Temporary storage of objects is permitted.
- Temporary parking is allowed.
- Piping connected to services of general interest can be installed if placement further from the road is impossible.
- Temporary storage of materials, machinery, and tools for construction, repair, or maintenance is permitted.
- Other services contributing to the road, such as agricultural or service roads and parking areas, are allowed.
The last three cases require notification from the Highways Agency to the landowner for land use. Owners or operators can cultivate without permission, but no works or installations can hinder the servitude’s effectiveness or affect road safety.
Condition Area
The condition area of a state highway consists of two strips of land on both sides:
- Bounded internally by the easement area.
- Outside by two parallel lines to the outer edges of the excavation, 100 meters away in highways, roads, and expressways, and 50 meters away in other roads.
Works and Facilities
- Executing any works or temporary fixed installations, changing land use or destination, or cutting trees requires prior authorization from the Ministry.
- Repairs and improvements to existing buildings and facilities within the affected zone require authorization and must not increase construction volume or value that could be considered for expropriation.
Building Line
On both sides of state highways, a building line is established, prohibiting any construction, reconstruction, or enlargement beyond it, except for essential conservation and maintenance of existing buildings. The building line is located 50 meters away in highways, roads, and expressways, and 25 meters away in other roads, measured horizontally from the nearest outer edge of the roadway.
Special Cases
- For state highways partially cutting through urban areas, the Ministry can establish a closer building line if permitted by the corresponding urban approach.
- Based on geographical or socioeconomic factors, the Ministry can establish a different building line for specific state highways in defined areas or regions.
- For bypass roads built to eliminate crossings, the building line is located 100 meters away, measured horizontally from the outer edge of the roadway.
Coincidence Zone
- If the building line falls within the public property or easement areas due to the large horizontal projection of earthworks, the building line will coincide with the outer edge of the easement area.
- When building lines overlap, the farthest line from the road applies, regardless of the road or factor.