ROADS AND BRIDGES — STANDARDS

RCW 36.86
in effect

RCW 36.86.010 Standard width of right-of-way prescribed.

From and after April 1, 1937, the width of thirty feet on each side of the center line of county roads, exclusive of such additional width as may be required for cuts and fills, is the necessary and proper right-of-way width for county roads, unless the board of county commissioners, shall, in any instance, adopt and designate a different width. This shall not be construed to require the acquisition of increased right-of-way for any county road already established and the right-of-way for which has been secured. From and after April 1, 1937, the width of thirty feet on each side of the center line of county roads, exclusive of such additional width as may be required for cuts and fills, is the necessary and proper right-of-way width for county roads, unless the board of county commissioners, shall, in any instance, adopt and designate a different width. This shall not be construed to require the acquisition of increased right-of-way for any county road already established and the right-of-way for which has been secured.

RCW 36.86.020 Minimum standards of construction.

In the case of roads, the minimum width between shoulders shall be fourteen feet with eight feet of surfacing, and in the case of bridges, which includes all decked structures, the minimum standard shall be for H-10 loading in accordance with the standards of the state department of transportation. When the standards have been prepared by the county road engineer, they shall be submitted to the county legislative authority for approval, and when approved shall be used for all road and bridge construction and improvement in the county. In the case of roads, the minimum width between shoulders shall be fourteen feet with eight feet of surfacing, and in the case of bridges, which includes all decked structures, the minimum standard shall be for H-10 loading in accordance with the standards of the state department of transportation. When the standards have been prepared by the county road engineer, they shall be submitted to the county legislative authority for approval, and when approved shall be used for all road and bridge construction and improvement in the county.

RCW 36.86.030 Amendment of standards — Filing.

Road and bridge standards may be amended from time to time by resolution of the county legislative authority, but no standard may be approved by the legislative authority with any minimum requirement less than that specified in this chapter. Two copies of the approved standards shall be filed with the department of transportation for its use in examinations of county road work. Road and bridge standards may be amended from time to time by resolution of the county legislative authority, but no standard may be approved by the legislative authority with any minimum requirement less than that specified in this chapter. Two copies of the approved standards shall be filed with the department of transportation for its use in examinations of county road work.

RCW 36.86.040 Uniform standard for signs, signals, guideposts — Railroad grade crossings.

The county legislative authority shall erect and maintain upon the county roads such suitable and proper signs, signals, signboards, and guideposts and appropriate stop, caution, warning, restrictive, and directional signs and markings as it deems necessary or as may be required by law. This includes informational signs to address jumping from bridges as authorized in RCW 47.36.410 . All such markings shall be in accordance with the uniform state standard of color, design, erection, and location adopted and designed by the Washington state department of transportation. In respect to existing and future railroad grade crossings over county roads the legislative authority shall install and maintain standard, nonmechanical railroad approach warning signs on both sides of the railroad upon the approaches of the county road. All such signs shall be located a sufficient distance from the crossing to give adequate warning to persons traveling on county roads. The county legislative authority shall erect and maintain upon the county roads such suitable and proper signs, signals, signboards, and guideposts and appropriate stop, caution, warning, restrictive, and directional signs and markings as it deems necessary or as may be required by law. This includes informational signs to address jumping from bridges as authorized in RCW 47.36.410 . All such markings shall be in accordance with the uniform state standard of color, design, erection, and location adopted and designed by the Washington state department of transportation. In respect to existing and future railroad grade crossings over county roads the legislative authority shall install and maintain standard, nonmechanical railroad approach warning signs on both sides of the railroad upon the approaches of the county road. All such signs shall be located a sufficient distance from the crossing to give adequate warning to persons traveling on county roads.

RCW 36.86.050 Monuments at government survey corners.

The board and the road engineer, at the time of establishing, constructing, improving, or paving any county road, shall fix permanent monuments at the original positions of all United States government monuments at township corners, section corners, quarter section corners, meander corners, and witness markers, as originally established by the United States government survey, whenever any such original monuments or markers fall within the right-of-way of any county road, and shall aid in the reestablishment of any such corners, monuments, or markers destroyed or obliterated by the construction of any county road heretofore established, by permitting inspection of the records in the office of the board and the county engineering office. The board and the road engineer, at the time of establishing, constructing, improving, or paving any county road, shall fix permanent monuments at the original positions of all United States government monuments at township corners, section corners, quarter section corners, meander corners, and witness markers, as originally established by the United States government survey, whenever any such original monuments or markers fall within the right-of-way of any county road, and shall aid in the reestablishment of any such corners, monuments, or markers destroyed or obliterated by the construction of any county road heretofore established, by permitting inspection of the records in the office of the board and the county engineering office.

RCW 36.86.060 Restrictions on use of oil at intersections or entrances to county roads.

No oil or other material shall be used in the treatment of any county road or private road or driveway, of such consistency, viscosity or nature or in such quantities and in such proximity to the entrance to or intersection with any state highway or county road, the roadway of which is surfaced with cement concrete or asphaltic concrete, that such oil or other material is or will be tracked by vehicles thereby causing a coating or discoloration of such cement concrete or asphaltic concrete roadway. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. No oil or other material shall be used in the treatment of any county road or private road or driveway, of such consistency, viscosity or nature or in such quantities and in such proximity to the entrance to or intersection with any state highway or county road, the roadway of which is surfaced with cement concrete or asphaltic concrete, that such oil or other material is or will be tracked by vehicles thereby causing a coating or discoloration of such cement concrete or asphaltic concrete roadway. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

RCW 36.86.070 Classification of roads in accordance with designations under federal functional classification system.

From time to time the legislative authority of each county shall classify and designate as the county primary road system such county roads as are designated rural minor collector, rural major collector, rural minor arterial, rural principal arterial, urban collector, urban minor arterial, and urban principal arterial in the federal functional classification system. From time to time the legislative authority of each county shall classify and designate as the county primary road system such county roads as are designated rural minor collector, rural major collector, rural minor arterial, rural principal arterial, urban collector, urban minor arterial, and urban principal arterial in the federal functional classification system.

RCW 36.86.080 Application of design standards to construction and reconstruction.

Upon the adoption of uniform design standards the legislative authority of each county shall apply the same to all new construction within, and as far as practicable and feasible to reconstruction of old roads comprising, the county primary road system. No deviation from such design standards as to such primary system may be made without the approval of the state aid engineer for the department of transportation. Upon the adoption of uniform design standards the legislative authority of each county shall apply the same to all new construction within, and as far as practicable and feasible to reconstruction of old roads comprising, the county primary road system. No deviation from such design standards as to such primary system may be made without the approval of the state aid engineer for the department of transportation.

RCW 36.86.090 Logs dumped on right-of-way — Removal — Confiscation.

Logs dumped on any county road right-of-way or in any county road drainage ditch due to hauling equipment failure, or for any other reason, shall be removed within ten days. Logs remaining within any county road right-of-way for a period of thirty days shall be confiscated and removed or disposed of as directed by the boards of county commissioners in the respective counties. Confiscated logs may be sold by the county commissioners and the proceeds thereof shall be deposited in the county road fund. Logs dumped on any county road right-of-way or in any county road drainage ditch due to hauling equipment failure, or for any other reason, shall be removed within ten days. Logs remaining within any county road right-of-way for a period of thirty days shall be confiscated and removed or disposed of as directed by the boards of county commissioners in the respective counties. Confiscated logs may be sold by the county commissioners and the proceeds thereof shall be deposited in the county road fund.

RCW 36.86.100 Railroad grade crossings — Obstructions.

Each railroad company shall keep its right-of-way clear of all brush and timber in the vicinity of a railroad grade crossing with a county road for a distance of one hundred feet from the crossing in such a manner as to permit a person upon the road to obtain an unobstructed view in both directions of an approaching train or other on-track equipment. The county legislative authority shall cause brush and timber to be cleared from the right-of-way of county roads in the proximity of a railroad grade crossing for a distance of one hundred feet from the crossing in such a manner as to permit a person traveling upon the road to obtain an unobstructed view in both directions of an approaching train or other on-track equipment. It is unlawful to erect or maintain a sign, signboard, or billboard within a distance of one hundred feet from the point of intersection of the road and railroad grade crossing located outside the corporate limits of any city or town unless, after thirty days notice to the Washington utilities and transportation commission and the railroad operating the crossing, the county legislative authority determines that it does not obscure the sight distance of a person operating a vehicle or train approaching the grade crossing. When a person who has erected or who maintains such a sign, signboard, or billboard or when a railroad company permits such brush or timber in the vicinity of a railroad grade crossing with a county road or permits the surface of a grade crossing to become inconvenient or dangerous for passage and who has the duty to maintain it, fails, neglects, or refuses to remove or cause to be removed such brush, timber, sign, signboard, or billboard, or maintain the surface of the crossing, the utilities and transportation commission upon complaint of the county legislative authority or upon complaint of any party interested, or upon its own motion, shall enter upon a hearing in the manner now provided for hearings with respect to railroad-highway grade crossings, and make and enforce proper orders for the removal of the brush, timber, sign, signboard or billboard, or maintenance of the crossing. Nothing in this section prevents the posting or maintaining thereon of highway or road signs or traffic devices giving directions or distances for the information of the public when the signs conform to the "Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices" issued by the state department of transportation. The county legislative authority shall inspect highway grade crossings and make complaint of the violation of any provisions of this section. Each railroad company shall keep its right-of-way clear of all brush and timber in the vicinity of a railroad grade crossing with a county road for a distance of one hundred feet from the crossing in such a manner as to permit a person upon the road to obtain an unobstructed view in both directions of an approaching train or other on-track equipment. The county legislative authority shall cause brush and timber to be cleared from the right-of-way of county roads in the proximity of a railroad grade crossing for a distance of one hundred feet from the crossing in such a manner as to permit a person traveling upon the road to obtain an unobstructed view in both directions of an approaching train or other on-track equipment. It is unlawful to erect or maintain a sign, signboard, or billboard within a distance of one hundred feet from the point of intersection of the road and railroad grade crossing located outside the corporate limits of any city or town unless, after thirty days notice to the Washington utilities and transportation commission and the railroad operating the crossing, the county legislative authority determines that it does not obscure the sight distance of a person operating a vehicle or train approaching the grade crossing. When a person who has erected or who maintains such a sign, signboard, or billboard or when a railroad company permits such brush or timber in the vicinity of a railroad grade crossing with a county road or permits the surface of a grade crossing to become inconvenient or dangerous for passage and who has the duty to maintain it, fails, neglects, or refuses to remove or cause to be removed such brush, timber, sign, signboard, or billboard, or maintain the surface of the crossing, the utilities and transportation commission upon complaint of the county legislative authority or upon complaint of any party interested, or upon its own motion, shall enter upon a hearing in the manner now provided for hearings with respect to railroad-highway grade crossings, and make and enforce proper orders for the removal of the brush, timber, sign, signboard or billboard, or maintenance of the crossing. Nothing in this section prevents the posting or maintaining thereon of highway or road signs or traffic devices giving directions or distances for the information of the public when the signs conform to the "Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices" issued by the state department of transportation. The county legislative authority shall inspect highway grade crossings and make complaint of the violation of any provisions of this section.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=36.86&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026

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