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CHAPTER 600 - FACILITY PROJECT GUIDELINES
This chapter includes specific guidelines for developed recreation project work.
610 - Recreation Roads
1. Road Entrance. Appropriate officials of the Alaska Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities shall be contacted to request an encroachment
permit for junctions where recreation entrance roads enter and exit State highways.
The road shall be designed to be safe, prevent excessive speed, and promote the
aesthetic values of the area.
2. Road Design. The recreation road, and the treatment of areas adjacent to
the road, shall be among the most attractive features of the developed recreation
site. The road must blend naturally and harmoniously with the topography,
thereby minimizing disturbance of the forest environment. Minimize cuts and fills
by rolling grades. Side slopes shall be as flat as possible and revegetated.
Interior road layout and traffic flow patterns shall be simple and uncomplicated in
order to minimize possible confusion to the user and reduce traffic control signing.
Road pattern designs such as "figure-8," "butterfly," or any regular geometric
shapes are usually unnecessary and are to be discouraged. Curving alignment of
the road is preferred to long tangents. Reverse curvature is permissible. Safety
factors regarding sight-distance, vehicle speed, and percent grade of the road, must
be considered. Interior roads for campgrounds and picnic grounds shall generally
follow a route of least resistance so the road is carefully integrated into the forest
environment. In general, road grades shall not exceed 8 percent. At interior road
intersections, the radius of the inner edge of the surfacing of the road shall not be
more than 25 feet. When parking areas for vehicles are provided, they shall be off
of the recreation road, not on the shoulder of the road.
3. Borrow Pits. Borrow pits shall be located outside of roadside zones and
recreation sites, including buffer zones. Soil stabilization problems and poorly
drained areas shall be avoided.
4. Barriers. All recreation site development roads, parking areas, and
parking spurs shall be provided with either approved natural or artificial barriers.
Barrier designs are found in R10 FSH 2309.24, page 100--24.
Effective use of barriers requires on-the-ground planning, starting with the layout of the road.
Skillful and careful road location, to take advantage of topography and cover, reduces the need
for artificial barriers. Tree plantings are recommended as traffic control barriers.
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At sites where there are natural rock outcrops, large rocks are effective as traffic
barriers. Generally, the size of the rocks used are approximately 2 feet by 3 feet.
Natural attractive faces of the rocks shall be exposed when siting. One-third of the
height of the rock shall be buried, both for pleasing appearance, and to prevent
removal. Select and use the various types and designs of barriers most compatible
with the topography and cover. Planned dispersal of a variety of barrier types and
designs enhances the naturalness of the barriers and prevents monotony.
5. Roadside Trees. Specimen trees or other save trees shall be protected
from damage and scarring during construction of the recreation area. All trees to be
saved shall be marked by flagging. The required protection of save trees shall be
defined in the supplemental provisions of the contract specifications. Clearing
width for the road shall be kept to a minimum. Stumps shall be cut as low as
possible.
6. Changes in Road Alignment. During the process of road survey and
design by the engineer, if field data, site conditions, or road design problems
warrant changes of road location or alignment, the following guidelines shall be
used:
a. The engineer is allowed to deviate from the road location, as shown
on the approved campground or picnic ground site plan, up to a distance
of 4 feet on either side.
b. For changes or deviations of road location over 4 feet, which affect
locations of parking spurs, picnic or camp units, the engineer and the
landscape architect shall jointly decide the best solution, remembering
that aesthetics of the site are of primary importance. The agreed
necessary departures in road location and alignment shall be shown on
a copy of the site plan and submitted for approval prior to road
construction.
7. Parking Spurs and Areas. Dimensions for parking spurs for single
vehicles, with or without trailers, shall be 12 feet wide by 45 feet long, measured
from the edge of the shoulder of the road and along the short leg of the spur. For 2
vehicles parking on the same spur (double spur), dimensions shall be 20 feet wide
by 55 feet long, measured from the edge of the shoulder of the road along the short
leg of the spur. Spurs shall normally be designed as back-in, at an angle of
approximately 45 degrees with the road centerline. An exception to spur lengths is
allowable where grade changes of the spurs are necessary to accommodate
differences in elevation between the camp unit area and the road grade. In such
cases, the total length of the back-in spur, measured from the shoulder at the edge
of the road along the short leg, is not to exceed 80 feet. The planning objective is to
locate parking spurs along the contour to minimize cuts and fills and obviate
lengthening of spurs. Spurs shall be as level as possible so refrigerators within
campers and trailers function efficiently.
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FSH 2309.23 - PUBLICLY MANAGED RECREATION HANDBOOK
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620 - Recreation Facilities Standards. Refer to FSH 2309.24 R-10 Recreation
Facilities Handbook which shows the standards for recreation cabins, toilets, and so
forth, approved for use in Region 10.