WHAT IS RIGHT OF WAY?

That number beside the road may not mean what you think it means.

By Bea Byline | Life of a Sardine™

WHAT IS RIGHT-OF-WAY?

Right-of-way, often abbreviated ROW or R/W on a plan, generally refers to land set aside for transportation or related infrastructure. When you see a right-of-way measurement on a development plan, one distinction is essential: the right-of-way is not the same thing as the paved roadway.

A road sits within the right-of-way. Other features may occupy portions of that same area. Depending on the location and the plans, those features can include sidewalks or drainage improvements. Utilities may also be located within or associated with the right-of-way.

This is why a label such as “66' R/W” needs to be read carefully. It identifies a 66-foot right-of-way. It does not tell you that vehicles have 66 feet of pavement available for travel.

If you need to understand the roadway itself, look for the dimensions that describe it. The plans may identify pavement width or individual travel lanes elsewhere on the drawing. Cross-sections and construction details can also provide information that is not apparent from the right-of-way label alone.

The distinction becomes especially useful when comparing different parts of a development plan. A large right-of-way measurement can look like a large road until you examine how the space within it is allocated.

As with other development records, check the date of the drawing before relying on it. If the plans were revised, compare the later version with the earlier one and identify the document associated with the approval.

So when you see “R/W” beside a road, do not treat that number as the width of the pavement.

Ask instead:

What does this measurement describe?

Then find the dimensions that describe the roadway itself.

Document. Fact. Unanswered question. Next record.

Nothing to see? Hold my pencil.

BEA BYLINE

Life of a Sardine™