How to Form a Driveway Approach

Measure the distance that you can see in either direction away from your planned driveway approach. If a car sitting in the driveway approach cannot see far enough to see oncoming traffic in time to avoid it then the entrance cannot be located there. If the road’s speed limit is 20 miles per hour, then you need 150 feet of visibility to the left and 130 feet to the right. If the speed limit is 30 mph then you need 350 feet to the left and 260 feet to the left. A speed limit of 40 mph needs views of 530 feet and 440 feet. A speed limit of 50 needs distances of 740 feet and 700 feet. 60 mph needs 1,050 and 950 feet to left and right.

Draw the approach to the driveway so that it intersects the road at 90 degrees. Use spray paint to mark the edges of the driveway approach. If 90 degrees is for some reason impossible then anything down to 60 degrees is acceptable. Any angle of intersection that is less than this is too dangerous.

Stand at the intersection of the road and the left edge of where your driveway will be. Walk 5 feet to the left and paint a marker there. Go to the intersection of the road and the right edge of where your driveway will be. Walk 5 feet to the right and leave another mark there. Return to the border between the right edge of the driveway and the road. Walk 5 feet down the driveway, and leave another mark there. Do the same on the left side.

Stand to the right of your driveway, at the spot where the closer mark on your driveway is 5 feet to your left and the mark by the road to the right of your driveway is 5 feet ahead of you. Tie the end of the rope to a stake and drive it into the ground at this spot. Walk to the mark you made on the right edge of the driveway. Holding onto the free end of the rope, walk to the mark made to the right of the driveway and keep the rope tight. Spray the ground with paint as you go. This will cause you to mark a curved line on the ground. This is the new right edge of your driveway approach, with a 5-foot turning radius.

Stand to the left of your driveway, at the spot where the closer mark on your driveway is 5 feet to your right and the mark by the road to the left of your driveway is 5 feet ahead of you. Tie the end of the rope to a stake and drive it into the ground at this spot. Walk to the mark you made on the left edge of the driveway. Holding onto the free end of the rope, walk to the mark made to the left of the driveway and keep the rope tight. Spray the ground as you go. This gives you the left edge of the approach, with a 5-foot turning radius. The driveway approach is now properly formed and ready to be dug out and installed along with the rest of the driveway.