Access Management

Purpose 
Lac qui Parle County will establish guidelines for access control along the county roadway system.

Scope 
County Highway Department has the authority to approve new accesses, access relocation, and access widening along the county roadway system.

Applicant responsibility will be as follows: 

Applicant must fill out the appropriate paper work and submit it to the County Highway Department for approval.

If the request is approved, the Applicant will be responsible for the labor and material cost to construct the access, except for culvert material.  The County will supply the culvert material at 75% of the cost.  Once the approach has been constructed, the County shall inspect the access to make sure it complies with county’s standards.  If it does not comply with county standards, the owner will have two weeks to make required corrections or the county forces will make the correction.

County Highway Department standards are as follows: 

Field Access: 

Applicant must fill out “Access Permit” and submit to County Highway Department for approval.

Two accesses will be allowed per ½ mile.  The County Highway Engineer must approve additional access.

Requirement for the access:

  • Finished top shall be no greater than 26 feet for a single access and no greater than 36 feet for a double access placed at the property line, with 25-foot radius.
  • Side slopes shall be constructed at 1:4 or flatter as determined by the County Highway Engineer.
  • County Highway Engineer shall determine the size of culvert if required.
     Minimum distance from the edge of a public road or private access to the centerline of a field approach will be 125 feet.

Residential/Commercial Access: 

Applicant must fill out “Access Permit” and submit to County Highway Department for approval.  For existing field access that is changing into residential or commercial access, applicant must fill out a new “Access Permit” for change in use, which must be approved by the County Highway Engineer.

One access per parcel will be allowed, the County encourages shared accesses.   Minimum distance guidelines will be based on AASHTO Stopping Site Distance, and will be measured from the centerline of a public road or private access to the centerline of private access, for rural areas that distance is 495 feet.  The County Highway Engineer must approve access not meeting these minimum distance guidelines.

Requirement for the access:

  • Finished top shall be no greater than 26 feet for a residential/farm access and no greater than 36 feet for a commercial access, with 25-foot radius.
  • Side slopes shall be constructed at 1:4 or flatter as determined by the County Highway Engineer.
  • County Highway Engineer shall determine the size of culvert if required.

Local Road Access: 

Local Unit of Government or developer that wishes to access a public or private road onto a county road must follow the procedures as stated in Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 505.03, Subdivision 2 (b), (c) and (d).

It is strongly recommended that any development that requires access onto a county road should meet with the County Highway Engineer early in the process.

Guidelines for local and private road access will be as follows:

Rate of vertical curvature, K, is the length of curve per percent algebraic difference in intersecting grades (A).  K=L/A

Access Spacing and Allowance
Access Spacing and Allowance