Chapter 410
2008 -- S 2485
SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 07/08/08
A N A C T
RELATING
TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - SIZE, WEIGHT AND LOAD LIMITS
Introduced
By: Senator John F. McBurney
Date
Introduced: February 13, 2008
It is enacted by the General Assembly as
follows:
SECTION 1. Section
31-25-21 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-25 entitled "Size,
Weight, and Load Limits" is hereby amended
to read as follows:
31-25-21. Power
to permit excess size or weight of loads. -- (a) The department of
administration transportation, with respect to
highways under its jurisdiction may, in its
discretion, upon application in writing and good
cause being shown for it, issue approve the
issuance of a special permit in writing by the
division of motor vehicles authorizing the applicant
to operate or move a vehicle or combination of
vehicles of a size or weight of vehicle or load
exceeding eighty thousand pounds (80,000 lbs.)
or otherwise not in conformity with the
provisions of chapters 1 -- 27 of this title
upon any highway under the jurisdiction of the party
granting the permit and for the maintenance of
which the party is responsible. Permits which have
been issued for a full year shall not be
required to be renewed for the period of time for which
payment has been made and the application and
other required documentation has been
completed and filed. Provided, that neither the
department of administration transportation nor the
local authorities may issue approve
the issuance of permits for divisible loads weighing in excess
of one hundred four thousand-eight hundred
pounds (104,800 lbs.), gross vehicle weight, for five
(5) axle vehicles and seventy-six thousand six
hundred fifty pounds (76,650 lbs.), gross vehicle
weight, for three (3) axle vehicles.
(b) The director
of the department of administration transportation may enter into
agreements with other states, the District of
Columbia and Canadian provinces providing for the
reciprocal enforcement of the overweight or
over-dimensional vehicle permit laws of those
jurisdictions entering into the agreement.
(c) Trip permit
fee. - A fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be paid to the division of
motor vehicles for the issuance of each
non-reducible vehicle or load permit.
(d) Annual fee. -
A fee of one three hundred dollars ($100) ($300)
paid to the division of
motor vehicles shall exempt the payor from the
necessity of paying trip permit fees as found in
subsection (c) of this section. However, payment
of the fee shall not be deemed to authorize non-
compliance with the rules and regulations
promulgated by the department of administration
transportation entitled "State of Rhode Island
Manual for Overweight and Oversize Vehicle
Permits".
(e) Blanket construction
equipment permits may be issued, as determined by the
department of administration transportation,
for intrastate movement of non-reducible loads upon
payment of the fee set forth in subsection (d)
of this section. The permits may not exceed one
year and shall be limited to a maximum overall
length of seventy-five feet (75') and maximum
overall width of eleven feet, eleven inches
(11'11").
The duration of the blanket permit may not
exceed one year, and the construction equipment
permit load shall be limited to a minimum
overall length of fifty-five feet (55'), a
maximum overall length of eighty feet (80'), and a
maximum width of twelve feet four inches (12'
4"), provided that neither the division of motor
vehicles, nor local authorities may issue
blanket permits for non-divisible loads weighing in
excess of one hundred thirty thousand pounds
(130,000 lbs.) on less than six (6) axles, with
individual axle weights exceeding twenty-five
thousand pounds (25,000 lbs.); provided, further,
that the department of transportation, with
respect to highways under its jurisdictions, may in its
discretion and upon application and for good
cause shown approve the issuance of a special trip
permit authorizing the applicant to exceed one
hundred thirty thousand pounds (130,000 lbs.) for
non-divisible loads. A flashing amber light
shall be in operation above the highest point of the
vehicle and shall be visible from both the front
and rear of the vehicle; and signs and red warning
flags shall be affixed to all extremities. All
blanket permits issued in accordance with this section
shall be effective during daylight and
night-time hours, for all over dimensional moves made and
travel shall be allowed on state highways. The
following restrictions on travel times shall apply
to:
(1) Freeways –
in general.
No travel will
be allowed between the hours of 7:00 am and 9:00 am or between 3:00 pm
and 7:00 pm on any day of the week.
(2) Arterial
roadways.
No travel will
be allowed between the hours of 7:00 am and 9:00 am or between 3:00 pm
and 7:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
(3) Holidays.
Memorial Day,
Victory Day, Labor Day & Columbus Day – No Saturday, Sunday or
Monday day or night travel.
Thanksgiving
Day – No Wednesday night or Thursday day or night travel. No travel on
Wednesday through Sunday of Thanksgiving week in
any calendar year.
Independence
Day, Veterans Day, Christmas Day – No day or night travel and no travel
the previous night.
Easter Sunday.
No Saturday night or Sunday travel.
(f)
Construction equipment blanket permits shall not be granted for travel over the
following bridges:
Blackstone
River Viaduct 750 carrying I-295 northbound and southbound over the
Blackstone River;
Kingston Road
Bridge No. 403 carrying I-95 northbound and southbound over Kingston
Road.
(g) Travel of
blanket permitted construction equipment through zones with reductions in
lane width such as construction zones will not
be allowed. Prior to travel, blanket permit holders
are responsible to verify the location of
construction zones and lane width reductions. Locations
of lane width reduction zones are available
through the state department of transportation's
construction office.
SECTION 2. This
act shall take effect on September 1, 2008.
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LC01784/SUB A
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