ODOT Traffic Sign Design Manual

Traffic Sign Design Manual

Delivery & Operations Division | Traffic Roadway Section

August 2023

Traffic-Roadway Section

ODOT Traffic Sign Design Manual

ODOT is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.

This information can be made available in alternative format by contacting 503-986-3568.

ODOT does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring and employment practices. Questions: 1-877-336-6368 (EEO-ODOT) or through Oregon Relay Service at 7-1-1.

Oregon Department of Transportation Engineering & Technical Services Branch

Traffic Roadway Section 4040 Fairview Industrial Dr. SE

Salem, Oregon 97302 503-986-3568



August 2023

page i

Traffic-Roadway Section

Revision History

Table 1: Major Updates

Summary of Update

Updates include: ? Text edits. ? Formatting.

ODOT Traffic Sign Design Manual

Revision Date

August 2023

August 2023

page ii

Traffic-Roadway Section

DATE: TO: FROM:

SUBJECT:

August 12th, 2023 Sign Designers Marie Kennedy, P.E. State Sign Engineer 2023 Sign Design Manual, version 03-05

ODOT Traffic Sign Design Manual

The purpose of this manual is to familiarize new sign designers with their responsibilities and provide them with an organized collection of standards, guidelines, policies, and procedures to design a permanent signing plan for a project on the state highway system. The concepts in the manual work for local roads as well as state highways, so a road authority for a city or county can use this document as well.

The amount of design work consulted out by ODOT has increased dramatically over the last decade. This manual is intended to provide instruction that will not only help in developing ODOT design staff, but will also provide the information necessary for consultants or municipalities to produce PS&E documents for ODOT contracts.

All the information included in this manual is in compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices with Oregon Supplements, and the Sign Policy and Guidelines for the state highway system.

This manual is not a standalone manual that contains everything needed to know to create a perfect sign design plan. There are links to many different websites and publications in this manual that should be used when mentioned in the text. This information, in combination, will give sign designers the background to put the whole design together.

This manual is not intended to replace any existing ODOT policy. It is intended to supplement existing ODOT policies and enhance the specific discipline of Permanent Signing Plans Design. This manual is to be used as a resource, a guide, a technical reference, and a teaching aide, as well. Please contact the Traffic-Roadway Section for clarification or interpretation of any policies and standards within this manual.

The procedures described in preparing sign plans provide one way of completing a set of contract plans. There are other acceptable ways of completing contract plans. When preparing contract work on a set of ODOT signing plans, it is important to check with the region sign designer prior to beginning design work, to coordinate design expectations for the project.

Email comments to State Sign Engineer Marie Kennedy, P.E.: Marie.Kennedy@odot..

August 2023

page iii

Traffic-Roadway Section

ODOT Traffic Sign Design Manual

Contents

Chapter 1 ? Developing Plans .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 ? Project Scope ...................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1.1 ? Project Limits .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.2 ? Vertical Clearance .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 ? Treatment of Existing Signs and Supports .................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 ? Design Expectations............................................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 ? Service Life of Signs ............................................................................................................... 2 1.2.3 ? Service Life of Sign Supports................................................................................................ 3 1.3 ? Critical Sign Locations...................................................................................................................... 7 1.3.1 ? Conventional Highways........................................................................................................ 7 1.3.2 ? Typical Layouts of Sign Placement...................................................................................... 8 1.3.3 ? Sign Spacing .......................................................................................................................... 18 1.3.4 ? Sign Specific Needs and Guidance .................................................................................... 22 Chapter 2 ? Designing Signs................................................................................................... 36 2.1 ? Choosing Substrate and Sheeting Types...................................................................................... 36 2.1.1 ? Sign Substrates...................................................................................................................... 36 2.1.2 ? Sign Sheeting......................................................................................................................... 40 2.1.3 ? Sign Sheeting Identification ................................................................................................ 42 2.1.4 ? Sign Legend........................................................................................................................... 42 2.2 ? Designing Regulatory and Warning Signs .................................................................................. 43 2.2.1 ? Regulatory Signs................................................................................................................... 44 2.2.2 ? Warning Signs....................................................................................................................... 44 2.3 ? Designing Guide Signs ................................................................................................................... 46 2.3.1 ? Legend Sizes and Spacing................................................................................................... 46 2.3.2 ? Arrow Sizes and Design ...................................................................................................... 48 2.3.3 ? Design Layout....................................................................................................................... 50 2.3.4 ? Freeway and Expressway Design ...................................................................................... 50 Chapter 3 ? Designing Supports ............................................................................................ 52

August 2023

page iv

Traffic-Roadway Section

ODOT Traffic Sign Design Manual

3.1 ? Choosing a Support Type .............................................................................................................. 52 3.2 ? Wood Posts ...................................................................................................................................... 52 3.3 ? Steel Supports-Major ...................................................................................................................... 52

3.3.1 ? Truss Sign Bridge ................................................................................................................. 52 3.3.2 ? Monotube Sign Bridge ......................................................................................................... 53 3.3.3 ? Butterfly Sign Support ......................................................................................................... 54 3.3.4 ? Cantilever Sign Support ...................................................................................................... 54 3.4 ? Steel Supports-Minor...................................................................................................................... 55 3.4.1 ? Multi-post Breakaway Supports ........................................................................................ 55 3.4.2 ? Triangular Base Breakaway ................................................................................................ 56 3.4.3 ? Special Pipe Sign Support ................................................................................................... 56 3.4.4 ? Perforated Steel Square Tube Slip Base Supports............................................................ 57 3.4.5 ? Perforated Steel Square Tube (PSST) Sign Supports (Anchor) (differentiate from slip base) ................................................................................................................................................... 57 3.4.6 ? Pipe Sign Support................................................................................................................. 58 3.5 ? Mounts.............................................................................................................................................. 58 3.5.1 ? Structure Mounts.................................................................................................................. 58 3.5.2 ? Bridge Rail Mounts .............................................................................................................. 59 3.5.3 ? Exit Number Sign Mounts .................................................................................................. 60 3.5.4 ? Signal Pole Mounts .............................................................................................................. 60 3.5.5 ? Mast Arm Street Name Sign Mounts ................................................................................ 61 3.5.6 ? Adjustable Sign Mounts ...................................................................................................... 61 3.5.7 ? Vertical Sign Mounts on Existing Structures (Stainless Steel Clamps)......................... 61 3.5.8 ? Secondary Sign Supports .................................................................................................... 61 3.6 ? Miscellaneous Sign Supports and Tools ...................................................................................... 62 3.6.1 ? Crosswalk Closure Support ................................................................................................ 62 3.6.2 ? Milepost Marker Posts......................................................................................................... 63 3.6.3 ? Route Marker Frame ............................................................................................................ 64 Chapter 4 ? Drafting Standards.............................................................................................. 65 4.1 ? General.............................................................................................................................................. 65

August 2023

page v

Traffic-Roadway Section

ODOT Traffic Sign Design Manual

4.1.1 ? Plan Requirements ............................................................................................................... 65 4.1.2 ? CADD Files ........................................................................................................................... 65 4.1.3 ? Design Format ...................................................................................................................... 65 4.1.4 ? Consolidation of Base File................................................................................................... 66 4.1.5 ? File Clean-Up ........................................................................................................................ 67 4.1.6 ? Creating and Naming a Design File .................................................................................. 68 4.1.7 ? Sheet Borders ........................................................................................................................ 68 4.2 ? Plan Sheets ....................................................................................................................................... 69 4.2.1 ? Clip Boundary and Referencing of Files ........................................................................... 70 4.2.2 ? Mapping Existing Signs....................................................................................................... 73 4.2.3 ? Use of Legend Notes ............................................................................................................ 74 4.3 ? Sign Details ...................................................................................................................................... 76 4.3.1 ? Format of Detail Sheets........................................................................................................ 76 4.3.2 ? Regulatory and Warning Signs .......................................................................................... 78 4.3.3 ? Guide Signs ........................................................................................................................... 78 4.3.4 ? Sign Design Software........................................................................................................... 81 4.4 ? Sign and Post Data Tables.............................................................................................................. 81 4.4.1 ? Sign Number & Sign Location............................................................................................ 82 4.4.2 ? Sign Dimensions................................................................................................................... 82 4.4.3 ? Sign Type ............................................................................................................................... 83 4.4.4 ? Substrate ................................................................................................................................ 83 4.4.5 ? Background Color ................................................................................................................ 84 4.4.6 ? Legend Color......................................................................................................................... 84 4.4.7 ? Legend Type ......................................................................................................................... 84 4.4.8 ? Sign Number ......................................................................................................................... 84 4.4.9 ? Type of Support .................................................................................................................... 85 4.4.10 ? Post Size and Length.......................................................................................................... 87 4.4.11 ? Footing Location and Minimum Depth .......................................................................... 88 4.4.12 ? Remarks ............................................................................................................................... 89 4.5 ? Sheet Numbers ................................................................................................................................ 90

August 2023

page vi

Traffic-Roadway Section

ODOT Traffic Sign Design Manual

4.6 ? Quality Control, Quality Assurance and Quality Verification ................................................. 91 Chapter 5 ? Standards .............................................................................................................. 95 5.1 ? Standard Drawings and Standard Details................................................................................... 95 5.2 ? Standard Specifications and Special Provisions ......................................................................... 95 Chapter 6 ? Estimates ............................................................................................................... 98 6.1 ? List of Bid Items............................................................................................................................... 98 6.2 ? Providing Quantities ...................................................................................................................... 98 6.3 ? Unit Costs and Regional Factors ................................................................................................. 100 6.4 ? Anticipated Items .......................................................................................................................... 101 Chapter 7 ? Design Follow-Up ............................................................................................. 102 7.1 ? Construction Support ................................................................................................................... 102 7.2 ? Shop Drawings / Submittals ........................................................................................................ 102

7.2.1 ? Signs ..................................................................................................................................... 103 7.2.2 ? Steel Supports ..................................................................................................................... 105 Chapter 8 ? Special Design Considerations....................................................................... 106 8.1 ? Review Requirements for Interstate Signing ............................................................................ 106 8.1.1 ? Project Delivery .................................................................................................................. 106 8.1.2 ? Maintenance Sign Changes and Additions .................................................................... 107 Appendix A ? Signing Contracts ......................................................................................... 108 A.1 ? Project Leader / Consultant Project Manager .......................................................................... 108 A.2 ? Roadway Designer....................................................................................................................... 108 A.3 ? Specification Writer ..................................................................................................................... 108 A.4 ? Region Sign Designer .................................................................................................................. 109 A.5 ? Traffic-Roadway Section Staff .................................................................................................... 109 A.6 ? District Sign Supervisor/Coordinator ....................................................................................... 109 A.7 ? State Parks ..................................................................................................................................... 109 A.8 ? Oregon Travel Information Council (TIC) ............................................................................... 109 A.9 ? Right of Way ................................................................................................................................. 110 A.10 ? Sign Structures Designer........................................................................................................... 110 A.11 ? Geotechnical Engineer............................................................................................................... 110

August 2023

page vii

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download