SDDCTEA_Pamphlet_55-17 Sec 8.6.pdf

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Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Transportation Engineering Agency

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In addition to being utilized at ECFs, bollards are also present at various locations throughout military installations. A bollard that is within the roadway or adjacent to the roadway (i.e., within a specified distance) is considered a hazard. (Refer to Chapter 11 to determine the applicable ‘clear zone’ distance and if an existing bollard is considered a hazard.) Bollards that fall within the roadway clear zone and are considered a hazard, must be delineated at a minimum. A bollard adjacent to or within the roadway shall utilize the alternating black and retroreflective yellow stripes. As illustrated in Exhibit 8.22, the stripes shall be sloped down at an angle of 45 degrees toward the side on which traffic is to pass the bollard. If traffic can pass to either side of the bollard, the stripes shall form chevrons that point upwards. Refer to Section 7.3.15—Object Markers for an illustration of the chevron marking.

8.6. GATE MARKINGS

Gates on military installations need to be formidable devices; therefore, it is essential that the gates are highly visible and that drivers have adequate advance warning when they are closed.

K EY P O I NT

Gates are common at military installations to physically prevent road users from proceeding past a particular point without authorization. Gates on military installations may include the following:

✓ Railroad Grade Crossing Style. An arm or a physical fence that is moved from a vertical to a horizontal position similar to railroad grade crossing gate to effectively block motor vehicles.

The gate may be stiffened and the outer end may lock into place. See section 5.8 for additional information on railroad grade crossing gates.

✓ Swinging Gate. A fence that is rotated on a vertical support from a position that is parallel to traffic to a position that is perpendicular to traffic.

✓ Gate on Rollers. A fence on rollers that is perpendicular to traffic and that retracts to open and extends to close.

Since gates are formidable devices, it is essential that they be clearly visible day and night. When closed, gates shall be retroreflective from both directions. The grade of sheeting shall be a minimum of a Type III material.

Safety Issues for Swinging Gates

✓ When open, the gate supports should be a minimum of 2 feet from the face of the curb or the edge of the pavement.

✓ When swinging gates are in the open position; i.e., parallel to the flow of traffic, they should be rotated to the downstream direction from the perspective of traffic in the lane adjacent to the gate support in order to minimize the possibility of the gate spearing an errant vehicle.

Therefore, on a two-way roadway, both gates would be rotated clockwise to open them, and when open they would be pointing in opposite directions.

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Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command Transportation Engineering Agency

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When gates are used to close off a roadway either on a permanent or on a part-time basis, a GATE CLOSED (R11-2g-TEA) sign shall be used in combination with retroreflective, alternating, vertical red and white stripes (16 inches in width) on a sign panel (see Section 8C.04 of the MUTCD) as illustrated in Exhibit 8.23. This sign panel must be a minimum of 4 inches in width and span the entire length of the gate on both sides. The total surface area of the retroreflective strip shall not be less than 1152 square inches per approach lane.

Exhibit 8.23: Gate Closed Signing

42-54 inches

Retroreflective Red and White

Section 2B.68 of the MUTCD requires gates to have a horizontal strip of retroreflective sheeting on both sides of the gate, except if used on a one-way roadway. In this situation, the retroreflectorization may be omitted on the side of the gate facing away from approaching traffic. However, on military installations, a back-to-back installation is recommended to avoid problems with a wrong-way driver.

A minimum of two GATE CLOSED signs are require, one for the in-bound approach and one for the out-bound approach. STOP signs provide the message that vehicles can proceed after having stopped, therefore a STOP sign is not appropriate and shall not be used in lieu of the GATE CLOSED sign.

Refer to Sections 7.2.7 and 7.3.13 for details regarding the use of the GATE CLOSED AHEAD (W20-3g-TEA) advance warning sign.

On some access roads to gates that are open only during certain periods, especially if it is several miles to the gate, a destination sign should be used to advise motorists of gate hours. The sign should be placed at a point where it will prevent needless travel when the gate is closed. Hours should be shown in civilian time, not military hours. The sign should have white lettering on a green background (see Section 7.4.3).