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Requirements/TexasPE stamp required

Houston traffic control plan requirements

Houston works to the Texas MUTCD, not the federal manual, and its Infrastructure Design Manual section 15.2.08 assigns traffic control plan preparation to an Engineer of Record. Where a contractor substitutes their own plan, the IDM requires it drawn to scale on reproducible mylars and sealed by a Licensed Engineer in the State of Texas. Treat Houston as PE-gated until you have confirmed with the Office of City Engineer that your specific permit class is exempt. Transcribed from the 2023 edition; a 2026 edition took effect 2026-03-02 and should be re-checked.

Check a plan against these rulesWhere to submit

This jurisdiction requires a PE stamp

Plans here must be signed and stamped by a licensed engineer. Conemap does not produce stamped plans — use it to draft, then have a licensed engineer review and stamp.

Published requirements

Transcribed from Houston's own published document. Each entry cites where it came from and when it was last checked.

  • All design shall be in accordance with the latest version of the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

    Houston Infrastructure Design Manual 15.2.08.A, General · Verified 2026-08-30

  • Provide 11-foot travel lanes on traffic control plans outside the Central Business District. Any deviation must be approved by the City Traffic Engineer.

    11 ft

    Houston Infrastructure Design Manual 15.2.08.B, Travelway (1) · Verified 2026-08-30

  • A minimum 10-foot wide travel lane applies within the Central Business District. Any deviation must be approved by the City Traffic Engineer.

    10 ft

    Houston Infrastructure Design Manual 15.2.08.B, Travelway (1) · Verified 2026-08-30

  • The contractor shall provide at a minimum two traversable lanes within the CBD. Any deviation must be approved by the City Traffic Engineer.

    2 text

    Houston Infrastructure Design Manual 15.2.08.B, Travelway (2) · Verified 2026-08-30

  • The contractor shall secure lane, sidewalk and bicycle facility closure permits from the Office of City Engineer before implementing the traffic control plan. The application must be submitted at least ten business days prior to implementation, with traffic control plans, construction sequencing and construction schedule.

    10 days

    Houston Infrastructure Design Manual 15.2.08.B (9) · Verified 2026-08-30

  • Where the contractor uses a method other than the contract drawings, the alternate traffic control plans shall be submitted ten working days prior to implementation, drawn to scale on reproducible mylars, and sealed by a Licensed Engineer in the State of Texas.

    Houston Infrastructure Design Manual 15.2.08.B (8) · Verified 2026-08-30

  • A minimum of one travel lane shall be maintained across driveways unless prior written approval is obtained, with a certified flagger or peace officer provided where required.

    Houston Infrastructure Design Manual 15.2.08.B (17)-(18) · Verified 2026-08-30

Source

https://www.houstonpermittingcenter.org/office-city-engineer/design-and-construction-standards

Document revision date: 2023-11-27

Agencies revise these documents without notice. If something here is out of date, tell us at hello@conemap.com and it will be corrected. Report a discrepancy.

Taper length for a Houston work zone

Taper geometry here comes from the TMUTCD, not the federal MUTCD on its own. What Houston adds is the checklist above.

What governs in Texas

TMUTCD

Texas publishes its own manual, the TMUTCD 2025.

Effective January 18, 2026.

  • The 2025 TMUTCD supersedes the 2011 TMUTCD Revision 2. TxDOT Table 1 sets a phased transition: projects letting between January 18 and June 30, 2026 may still conform to the 2011 manual at the jurisdiction’s discretion; everything letting on or after July 1, 2026 shall use the 2025 manual.
  • Texas adds a tangent rule the federal manual does not have (Section 6B.08 para 06): multiple merging tapers should have at least 2 L of tangent between them, and adjoining merging and shifting tapers at least 0.5 L.
Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices

Posted speed limit, off-peak 85th-percentile speed prior to work starting, or anticipated operating speed.

ft

How far traffic is moved sideways — usually the width of the closed lane.

Open this in the plan builder

Merging taper length

245ft

L = W × S² ÷ 60 = 12 × 35² ÷ 60 = 245.0 ft

TMUTCD 2025, Table 6B-4A (TX) — at least L

Plan view

8 devices at 35 ft
245 ft12′

Length is to scale; the lateral offset is exaggerated so the taper is legible.

All taper types at these conditions

TMUTCD 2025, Table 6B-4A (TX)

Merging taper

at least L

245 ft

Shifting taper

at least 0.5 L

125 ft

Shoulder taper

at least 0.33 L

85 ft

One-lane, two-way traffic taper

50 ft min, 100 ft max

50 ft

Downstream taper

50 ft min, 100 ft max

50 ft

Channelizing devices

MUTCD 11th Ed, Section 6K.01

Maximum spacing in this taper

1 × 35 mph

35 ft

Devices required

One at each end, evenly spaced between

8

Table 6B-3 states these lengths as minimums. Longer tapers are not automatically better — MUTCD Section 6B.08 notes that extended tapers tend to encourage sluggish operation and delay lane changes, particularly in urban areas with short blocks or frequent driveways.