Right-of-Way

right-of-way [¦rīt əv ¦wā]

(civil engineering)

Areas of land used for a road and along the side of the roadway.

A thoroughfare or path established for public use.

Land occupied and used by a railroad or a public utility.

---

right-of-way

Any strip or area of land, including surface and overhead or underground space, which is granted by deed or easement for the construction and maintenance of specified linear elements such as power and telephone lines; roadways; gas, oil, water, and other pipelines; sewers.

---

Right-of-Way 

of railroads, a strip allocated from a country’s lands for a railroad and all of its facilities, such as the roadbed, buildings, and station platforms.

In the right-of-way the permission to erect buildings and other structures is granted only to the railroad. In practice, the width of the right-of-way is no less than 24 m. At railroad stations the width can be considerably greater, because in addition to the railroad tracks, all the structures, buildings, and service facilities of the railroad are located on the right-of-way. In areas where there is drifting of snow or sand, the width of the right-of-way is increased to allow for protective tree plantings.