Road Construction (Class 1, 2 and 3)
Source: PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), Appendix 1, pp. 50–52
What it is
All three road classes are multipurpose woodlot access roads, with a crowned driving surface and modest ditches. They differ by the equipment they carry and the ground they cross:
| Class | Purpose | Typical equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Industrial-standard road for extracting forest products with large equipment | Skidders, porters, trucks |
| Class 2 | Low-impact road for extracting forest products with small equipment | Tractors, ATVs |
| Class 3 | Road through wet terrain, built up to carry more weight | As required |
Dimensions by class
| Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-of-way (minimum) | 8 m | 5 m | 8 m |
| Travel surface | 4 m | 3.5 m | 4 m |
| Crown above shoulders | 10–15 cm | 10–15 cm where needed | — |
| Shoulders above ditch base | 15–30 cm, unless the plan says otherwise | — | — |
Where there are no bullpens, the right-of-way must be at least 10 m wide.
Clearing the right-of-way
- Harvest right-of-ways and bullpens, removing merchantable wood where practical.
- Merchantable wood left in the right-of-way may count toward coarse woody debris requirements.
Building the road
Travel surface. All classes need a travel surface at least 300 mm deep when built with select borrow. Select borrow is specified in the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure’s General Provisions and Contract Specifications for Highway Construction, on the Government of PEI website.
Protecting adjacent trees. Bulldoze the right-of-way with as little damage as possible to the trees beside it; those trees must stay standing.
Surplus material:
- With bullpens: put anything not used in the sub-grade into the bullpen.
- Without bullpens (exceptional): place it at the outer edge of the right-of-way, leaving gaps through the grubbed slash into the woods every 20 m on both sides.
Grades. No steeper than 10%, except over short distances. Even then, never more than 12%.
Ditches. Size and align them to carry runoff from moderate to severe storms, on every forest road.
Extra requirements for Class 3 (wet ground)
Materials for increasing bearing capacity:
- trucked shale,
- geotextile fabric,
- geogrid,
- slash,
- on-site material — only if its mineral soil will compact, grade and drain without excessive rutting, slumping or washout.
Everything except slash is placed and shaped on the roadbed.
| Element | Standard |
|---|---|
| Geotextile cover | At least 50 cm of shale and/or nearby soil |
| Slash mat cover | At least 30 cm of shale and/or nearby soil |
| Source of on-site cover | Dug from road ditches on both sides of the roadbed |
| Width between ditches | No more than 6 m, except at turnarounds that are needed |
| Ditch side slopes | No steeper than 2:1 on the shoulder side and 1.5:1 on the backslope |
| Drainage | Ditches graded and aligned to drain properly |
| Junctions | If ditched, turnarounds and branch roads need a culvert where they meet the road |
| Access points | Entry and exit points roughly every 500 m of road, with culverts where appropriate |
On ditch slopes. The manual states the ratios as “vertical to horizontal”, while its road diagram labels the slope as 1.5 horizontal to 1 vertical. Confirm the intended reading with your road designer.
Based on the PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), Appendix 1, pp. 50–52. Where this guide and the manual differ, the manual governs.