Walworth County, WI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Section 54-42(a) requires a permit before a person does any of three things: alters or disturbs a highway or bridge, including laying a non-subterranean manure hose across the right-of-way; constructs or operates telecommunications, telephone, electric, or pipe lines within the right-of-way; or places, constructs, or alters a driveway on a parcel abutting a highway. Applicants submit a form to the Highway Commissioner with the fee set in Section 30-286, drawings to scale, and an agreement to comply with permit conditions and the Utility Accommodation Policy.

Driveway permits carry detailed engineering standards under subsection (e): the approach angle must fall between 70 and 110 degrees, the driveway must be at least 15 feet wide, its surface must sit four inches below the road edge at any culvert, there must be 650 feet of clear sight distance in both directions, and maximum surface widths are 20 feet residential, 24 feet agricultural, and 35 feet commercial. A driveway cannot sit closer than 10 feet to a property line or 20 feet to another driveway on an adjoining lot, cannot block drainage in the right-of-way, and cannot be built of concrete within it.

Culverts need a minimum six inches of cover and cannot sit within five feet of a property line. The Highway Commissioner can deny an application in writing within 15 days, with reasons stated, and can revoke a permit for noncompliance; both denials and revocations are appealable under the Wis. Stat. Ch. 68 procedure through Sections 54-48 and 54-49. Emergencies are exempt from the permitting process under subsection (f).