Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration

Highway Drainage Manual

This manual is the official source for highway drainage design criteria on Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) projects. The most recent version of the Highway Drainage Manual is presented below. Future revisions will be featured on this website.​

Highway Drainage Manual (September, 2023), (PDF, 6 MB)

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Hydrology
Chapter 3 Channels
Chapter 4 Culverts
Chapter 5 Storm Drain Systems

Stormwater Management Design Resources
Office of Structures Manual for Hydrologic and Hydraulic Design

Drainage Report and Design Exception Templates (ZIP, 160 KB)
Previous Drainage Manual and Supplemental Guidelines (ZIP, 10.5 MB)
Drainage Manual Revisions (PDF, 320 KB)

For additional information, please contact HHD@mdot.maryland.gov