Skip navigation to main content
United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration FHWA Homefeedback

2.0 Plaza Operations and Toll Lane Configuration

2.7.4 Recommended Guidelines

Administration Building and Accessway Location Design Issues and Guideline Development

The location of an administration building depends on the implementation of express lanes; the location of ETC dedicated lanes, and existence or plans for a tunnel or overhead walkway. If express lanes are part of initial construction or planned for the future, either a single or dual administration building should be located beyond the far outside pavement on either one or both sides. If a tunnel or overhead walkway is not designed nor planned, two buildings are required and any ETC dedicated lanes must be located to the far left of the conventional plaza. If a tunnel or overhead walkway is designed or planned, there are no restrictions on lane placement within the conventional plaza.

The vehicle accessway to the building should always be located downstream of the conventional plaza to avoid blockages by the adjacent lane queues and disrupting traffic flow. The metering affect of a manual lane provides the gaps needed for right-in and right-out movements. Making provisions for vehicle access to an administration building located in the center of a plaza precludes the placement of ETC dedicated lanes to the far left because of safety considerations. Consequently, any ETC dedicated lanes must be placed in the center of the directional conventional plaza, and either automatic or manual lanes must be placed on the left. Again, the accessway must be located within the departure zone, downstream of the plaza. The intersection is a left-in and left-out movement.

Safe staff access to the building parking area, and then to the toll booths, is an important design element feature. Specifically, operations staff should never need to cross an ETC dedicated lane to reach their assigned toll booth. Unless the ETC dedicated lanes are located to the far left of a conventional plaza, a tunnel or overhead walkway is required for toll booth access by the operations staff. Preferably, tunnel or overhead walkway access is provided even when ETC is implemented in the conventional plaza to only supplement manual and automatic collection (i.e., no ETC dedicated lanes). If the operations staff is allowed to cross multi-mode lanes with ETC capability, the toll island should include lane passage constraints to highlight staff to a hazardous condition. This is a significant departure from the days when all toll collection was stop-and-go, resulting in considerably less risk to the toll collector when crossing toll lanes. Furthermore, for new conventional plaza construction, toll island access to either an overhead walkway or tunnel should be spaced to require crossing only one toll lane (i.e., access every third toll island).

Administration Building and Accessway Location Guidelines

Guideline Administration Building Configuration and Access Guideline 1
Title Accessway
Text Toll plaza administration building accessway should be located downstream from the toll collection point, on the side where the administration building is planned, which is normally the right side.
Commentary

An exception would be at ramp plazas or one-way roadways where the slower, cash toll lanes are located to the left. In these cases, the building accessway should be located on the left.

Design should be prepared following AASHTO design guidelines applicable in the departure area, where speeds are still slow.

 

Guideline Administration Building Configuration and Access Guideline 2
Title Personnel Lane Access
Text For all new plaza construction with ETC dedicated lanes or express lanes and one administration building, provide a tunnel or overhead walkway.
Commentary

Toll island access to the tunnel or overhead walkway should be spaced so that toll collectors should not have to cross more than one live toll lane (i.e., access on every third toll island).

 

 

Table of Contents | List of Tables | List of Figures | Previous Section | Next Section | HOME


FHWA Home | U.S. DOT | Operations Home | Privacy Policy
fhwa
Federal Highway Administration - United States Department of Transportation