El Dorado County Municipal Code Art. IV Construction Standards

The Director of Transportation may establish typical details as standards for the encroachments set forth in this article.

(Prior Code, art. 4(part); Code 1997, § 12.08.220; Ord. No. 3973, § 6, 1988; Ord. No. 5051, § 2, 4-18-2017)

All excavations made on County highways shall comply with the following requirements:

A. All excavations shall be evenly cut from the grade to a depth which will provide a minimum cover of 18 inches between the top of any object placed in the excavation and the bottom of the lowest ditch draining the road, measured at right angles to the centerline of the road. Pavement shall be scored to provide even break.

B. All excavations shall be backfilled with a granular material having a sand equivalent value of not less than 20 as determined by Test Method No. 217c of the Department of Transportation in six-inch layers to a relative compaction of not less than 90 percent from the bottom of the excavation to the road surface. Relative compaction of not less than 95 percent shall be obtained for a minimum depth of 0.5 feet below the grading plane for the width between the outer edges of shoulders, whether in excavation or embankment. Compaction to be determined by Test Method No. Calif. 216 or Calif. 231. All excess material, accumulated as a result of the excavation and not used in the backfill, shall be disposed of at a point off the right-of-way of the road, unless the Director of Transportation otherwise directs. With the prior approval of the Director of Transportation endorsed on the encroachment permit, the backfill may be compacted by ponding or jetting of selected fine materials placed in layers not exceeding 18 inches in depth; provided, however, that the quantity of water used and the duration of ponding or jetting shall be as directed by the Director of Transportation. Ponding or jetting will not be permitted under or within two feet of the paved area.

C. After compacting the backfill, the road shall be surfaced in the same manner as the road was surfaced prior to the excavation. In no case shall the wearing surface be less than two inches asphaltic concrete.

D. Where an excavation consists of trenching parallel to the centerline of the road, the total length of open trench shall not exceed 500 feet at any time.

E. The person making any excavation on a County highway shall place warning signs and devices and take such other safety measures as necessary, including flagmen, to warn persons using the road of the excavation and to prevent injury to persons or damage to property lawfully on the road.

F. The work shall be done in an expeditious manner so as to cause as little inconvenience to the traveling public as possible. Where a convenient detour is not available, one lane of traffic must be allowed to pass at all times. At night, and during other periods when work is not in progress, two ten-foot lanes must be kept open for traffic.

(Prior Code, § 11,241; Code 1997, § 12.08.230; Ord. No. 3766, § 39, 1987; Ord. No. 5051, § 2, 4-18-2017)

All obstructions placed on County highways shall comply with the following requirements:

A. No obstruction shall be placed upon or over any County highway which changes the route of, or otherwise interferes with, the normal flow of vehicular traffic on the road.

B. No obstruction shall be placed upon or over any County highway which would obstruct the view of traffic between any two points on the road within 500 feet of each other.

C. No obstruction shall be placed over any County highway which reduces the vertical clearance below 14 feet from the road surface.

(Prior Code, § 11, 242; Code 1997, § 12.08.240)

A. No person owning land abutting a County highway shall be refused an encroachment permit for one access road from the County highway to his or her abutting property at a point on the boundary line between the County right-of-way and his or her abutting property designated in the permit unless there is no point along the boundary line at which an access road can be constructed to provide access with safety to persons traveling the County road. Any access road which does not meet the requirements of this section shall be deemed unsafe to persons using the access road and to persons traveling the County road.

B. This chapter shall not be construed to render unlawful or deprive any person of the use of any access road lawfully established either with or without an encroachment permit prior to July 1, 1964, the effective date of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived.

C. Every access road or driveway approach to a County highway, authorized by an encroachment permit issued pursuant to this chapter, shall comply with the appropriate requirements of the Subdivision Design and Improvement Manual adopted by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.

(Prior Code, § 11,243; Code 1997, § 12.08.250; Ord. No. 3818, § 1, 1988)

Any cut into or fill upon the natural ground surface upon land adjacent to a County highway, any point on which measures horizontally less than three times the depth of the cut or fill from the closest right-of-way boundary line of the County highway, shall comply with the following requirements:

A. The slope of any part of the cut or fill shall not exceed 45 degrees from the horizontal, unless it is held by a retaining wall;

B. Any retaining wall constructed on the cut or fill shall be constructed in accordance with the specifications required in the encroachment permit;

C. No fill or retaining wall shall be placed in such location that it would back natural drainage waters over any portion of the right-of-way of a County highway.

(Prior Code, § 11,244; Code 1997, § 12.08.260)

A. Every encroachment permit issued for the use of County highways by overloaded or oversized vehicles shall specify:

1. The description of the vehicles covered;

2. The routes to be used and the time of such use;

3. In case of vehicles exceeding eight feet in width, a sign reading "WIDE LOAD" shall be displayed on the front of the vehicle.

B. Vehicles exceeding ten feet in width shall be preceded by another vehicle by a distance of 200 feet to 1,000 feet displaying a warning sign to oncoming traffic.

(Prior Code, § 11,245; Code 1997, § 12.08.270)