What is a Standard Plan?
Standard Plans are drawings approved for repetitive use showing details to be used where appropriate. Standard Plans are approved by MDOT Administrators and the Federal Highway Administration (F.H.W.A.). The drawings are produced in the Design Standards Unit for statewide use by the department, counties and cities and are published in a loose leaf binder entitled "Road and Bridge Standard Plans." Current applicable standard plans are listed on the note sheet of a set of construction plans.
 
What is a Special Detail? 
Special details are frequently draft versions of standard plans that are in the approval process. Once a special detail is approved by MDOT Administrators and the F.H.W.A. it becomes a Standard Plan. The Design Standards Unit also produces special details of experimental items that may or may not become standard plans and of items that have a special limited use. Most special details that have a special limited uses are eventually dropped when all the conditions they were specifically designed for have been met. Applicable special details are listed on the note sheet and the drawings are also physically incorporated into a set of construction plans. Also, individual design units occasionally develop special details designed to fit conditions unique to a project.
 
How do I get a Standard Plan book , Road Design Manual or Bridge Design Manual? 
Questions regarding the subscriptions to and the distribution of the Road and Bridge Standard Plans, Road Design Manual, and Bridge Design Manual should be directed to the Engineering Print Unit at (517) 322-1675.

Standard Plans, Road Design Manual and Bridge Design Manual are also available in PDF format on the MDOT website for the exclusive purpose of providing information as a convenience to those who access it.
 
How can I get a copy of a Special Detail?
Special details are available in PDF format on the MDOT website.  The exclusive purpose of this electronic publication is to provide information as a convenience to those who access it. 

To insure that special details required to be physically attached to a set of construction plans are the latest version, consultants contracted to provide design services to the Department must contact their project manager to obtain them.
 
Can I have the electronic file for Standard Plan _______ ?
 Standard Plans are available in PDF format on the MDOT website. The exclusive purpose of this electronic publication is to provide information as a convenience to those who access it.
 
Why isn't there a Standard Plan for ________ ?
Standard Plans are drawings approved for repetitive use. Items that infrequently occur are not appropriate for Standard Plans and need to be detailed on the plans. Designs for limited or experimental application are included by special detail.