What do you look at during the review process?

What could cause the application to take longer?

What are the fees and costs of obtaining permits and approvals?

What is the work notification/lane closure request form used for?

What is a right-of-way?

Are there different classifications of constructed roads?

How do I tell the difference between a side road and a numbered route?

How do I search this site using key words?

What do you look at during the review process?

 Development technicians will review and consider several aspects of a proposal which may include but are not limited to the following:

• The Ministry's primary responsibility to ensure that activities or installations within the highway right-of-way do not compromise public safety
• That the proposal does not damage or put at risk existing highway facilities
• Protection of other non-highway facilities
• Any undue restriction of future highway development

The Evaluation section of this guide gives more details about the many considerations that Transportation staff need to balance as they evaluate your proposal.

What could cause the application to take longer?

One of the main factors that will influence the time it takes to process your application is whether you have provided complete information.  Applications are dealt with on a “first come, first served” basis, and your proposal can spend time in the queue, only to be handed back with a request for more information.  Please make sure you have included all the information listed on the permit application as you prepare your application.

What are the fees and costs of obtaining permits and approvals?

For the majority of permits and approvals, no fees apply. The exceptions to this rule are:

• Road Closure - a $1500 processing fee is charged which is applied against the final purchase price.
• Some fees charged to utility companies for installing their infrastructure within the right-of-way. This includes fees to telecommunications companies of $2/metre/yr per innerduct on highway and $3/metre/yr per innerduct on transportation structures such as bridges.

A fee schedule is included here.

Other expenses which applicants frequently incur include the following:

• Design studies
• Legal fees
• Geotechnical and/or archaeological studies
• Engineering reports
• Public consultation
• Implementation costs
• Inspection costs

If the cost of inspection is excessive (because of the remoteness or your project or other extraordinary circumstances), you may be charged for any additional costs.

Other agencies may charge processing or inspection fees.

What is the work notification/lane closure request form used for?

This form allows you to apply to close part or all of the right of way in order to carry out construction and other works. With it, you specify:

• the time and place where you will be working
• the reason you are carrying out the work
• your plans for traffic control while the work is taking place

. In this way, the Ministry of Transportation will be able to let all relevant parties know about the work, and be aware of any potential disruptions.

What is a right-of-way?

Right-of-way is the land established for the purposes of a road corridor. On many rights-of-way, a constructed road has been established and is maintained by this ministry's maintenance contractor. Some rights- of-way are bare land and are in the Ministry's inventory for future road purposes. With each of these, the right-of-way is a valuable asset where the Ministry of Transportation is responsible for its care and maintenance.

Are there different classifications of constructed roads?

Yes. There are low volume roads, local roads and roads that are classified as highways which carry larger volumes of traffic. There is a hierarchy of roads where one feeds into another. For example, a low volume rural road, with a minimally finished top, will connect to a road that has more traffic. These roads feed into a collector, then to a highway. Highways or numbered routes (e.g. Highway 97), are classified as "Controlled Access Highways", which means the control of access points and level of maintenance and care is a higher priority. There are certain roads that are not classified as controlled access but have significant traffic volumes, and for that reason the same level of care and concern must given to these roads.

How do I tell the difference between a side road and a numbered route?

Side roads are provincially maintained roads that are not major highways or numbered routes, e.g. Highway 1 or Highway 97. A side road is generally a residential road and usually carries lower volumes of traffic. If you are in doubt, contact your local Transportation office for clarification.

How do I search this site using key words?

The easiest method of searching the site using key words is as follows:

• From the left navigation bar, open "manuals"
• Select "Permits and Approvals Manual (PDF)"
• The manual will open in Adobe Acrobat Reader
• To search, select "Find" (binocular icon) from the toolbar, or press CTRL+F on your keyboard
• Insert the key word you want to search for. The first instance of the word will appear.
• For more instances of the word, select "Find Again" (binocular with arrow icon)