Wyoming Department of Transportation
Petroleum, Petroleum Product, and Hazardous Liquid Pipelines
CHAPTER 10
Section 1. Authority and Purpose.
These rules of practice and procedure are promulgated by authority of W.S. 1-26-813 and W.S.24-2-105 to administer gas pipeline facilities within state highway system right-of-way.
Section 2. Design and Construction Provisions.
The provisions of Chapter 1 through Chapter 6 of the Utility Accommodations Section of the Wyoming Department of Transportation rules and regulations concerning occupancy of and construction within highway rights-of-way shall apply.
Section 3. Definitions.
For the purpose of this rule and regulation the following definitions are used:
(a) "Clear roadway recovery area" means the area adjacent to and 30 feet beyond the traveled lanes as delineated by the edge-line paint stripe and including the paved shoulder or emergency parking lane. This area provides an obstruction-free recovery area for a driver whose vehicle leaves the traveled lane to regain steering control.
(b) "Commission" means the Transportation Commission of Wyoming.
(c) "Department" means the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
(d) "Director" means the director of the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
(e) "Gathering lines" means pipelines that transport petroleum products from a production facility (wellhead) to a storage facility or transmission line.
(f) "Petroleum products" means crude oil, condensate, natural gasoline, natural gas liquids, and liquified petroleum gas; flammable, toxic, or corrosive products obtained from distilling and processing of crude oil; unfinished oils, blend stocks, and other miscellaneous hydrocardon compounds; and all other hazardous liquids as defined by Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 195.2.
(g) "Transmission lines and facilities" means pipelines and facilities for the transportation of petroleum products between states (interstate) as well as those that transport petroleum products 10-1 from gathering lines and storage facilities to distribution centers and storage facilities or directly to large volume customers (intrastate).
(h) "Traveled way" means that portion of the roadway designated for vehicular traffic, exclusive of the shoulders.
Section 4. Specific Provisions.
(a) The following shall apply to all facility types:
(i) Design and construction of all carrier pipe and casing pipe shall comply with the most current provisions of federal and state laws, rules and regulations, industry standards, and the provisions of this regulation.
(ii) Casing of crossing pipelines is not required if the carrier pipe is of heavy wall thickness and the line is cathodically protected. The heavy wall thickness portion of the line, or casing if used, shall extend to the highway right-of-way line to allow for future widening of the roadway.
(iii) Bore and receiving pits shall be located as close to the highway right-of-way line as possible.
(iv) Bore and receiving pits shall not be located in the median strips of divided highways where the median is less than 120 feet wide, unless specifically approved by the department's engineer because of extenuating circumstances.
(v) Abandoned or incomplete bores shall be backfilled and plugged as directed by the department's engineer.
(vi) Pipeline crossings shall be as near to perpendicular to the roadway centerline as practical.
(vii) Vent pipes shall be located as close as possible to the right-of-way line. If vent pipes lie within the clear roadway recovery area, they shall be of a breakaway design.
(viii) Line markers that fall within the clear roadway recovery area shall be of a breakaway design.
(ix) If support facilities are located immediately adjacent to the highway right-of-way and require periodic access, an approach and gate shall be applied for at the department's district office 10-2 by separate procedure.
(b) The following shall apply to transmission lines:
(i) Parallel encroachments of transmission lines shall not be allowed within the No Access line of fully access controlled interstate highways.
(ii) Parallel encroachments of transmission lines shall not be allowed within the median strips of divided highways.
(iii) Parallel encroachments of transmission lines may be allowed along partially access controlled highways at the discretion of the director or the commission if special and unique circumstances exist, and if such parallel encroachment does not affect the safe operation, design, construction, reconstruction, and maintenance of the highway.
(iv) When a parallel encroachment is allowed for transmission lines, the line shall be located as close to the highway right-of-way line as possible and no closer to the road bed than 50 feet from the adjacent edge of the traveled way as delineated by the edge-line paint stripe.
(v) When a parallel encroachment is allowed, the facility shall be marked with line markers every 1,000 feet placed as nearly as practical over the top of the transmission line. A continuous colored tracer tape shall be placed 18 inches above the top of any pipe that falls within the right-of-way.
(vi) Transmission facilities shall not be attached to any bridge or other highway structure.
(vii) A Wyoming-licensed professional engineer shall review and approve above-ground transmission support structures used to cross rivers.
(viii) The minimum depth of cover for parallel transmission lines shall be 48 inches below natural ground and/or below the roadway ditch flow line. The minimum depth of cover for parallel facilities closer to the traveled way than the designated 50 feet minimum shall be 72 inches below natural ground and/or below the roadway ditch flow line. The minimum depth of cover for all crossing transmission lines shall be 120 inches below natural ground and/or below the roadway ditch flow. If the minimum depth of cover is not practical because of natural conditions, the applicant shall consider additional protective measures (such as concrete encasement or using a concrete cap or slab or other protective measures) as part of the license application.
(ix) Transmission line support facilities such as storage tanks, compressors, valves, clean-out traps, cathodic protection fields and rectifiers, and similar facilities shall not be located inside the highway right-of-way unless extenuating circumstances exist and the director or the commission specifically
10-3 approves the proposed location.
(x) If extenuating circumstances or site specific conditions prove that a cathodic protection groundbed must be placed on highway right-of-way to be effective (other than on interstate highways), such an installation may be approved if the applicant presents sufficient justification.
(c) The following shall apply to gathering lines:
(i) Parallel encroachments of gathering lines shall not be placed within the highway right-of-way. The number of gathering lines crossing the highway right-of-way shall be held to a minimum by placing large casing pipes in a few locations and running several gathering lines through them.
(ii) The minimum depth of cover for crossing gathering lines, whether in urban or rural areas, shall be 36 inches below natural ground and/or below the roadway ditch flow line, except for Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) lines, which shall have 48 inches of cover. If the minimum depth of cover is not practical because of rock, the applicant shall consider additional protective measures (such as concrete encasement or using a concrete cap or slab or other protective measures) as part of the license application.
(iii) Gathering line support facilities such as storage tanks, valves, clean-out traps, compressors, and similar facilities shall not be located on the highway right-of-way.
(iv) If extenuating circumstances or site-specific conditions prove that a cathodic protection groundbed must be on highway right-of-way to be effective (other than on interstate highways), such an installation shall be approved if the applicant presents sufficient justification.
(v) Line markers shall be located as close as possible to the right-of-way line.