Chapter 253 |
2019 -- S 1025 Enacted 07/15/2019 |
A N A C T |
RELATING TO HIGHWAYS - CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF STATE ROADS |
Introduced By: Senator Ryan W. Pearson |
Date Introduced: June 26, 2019 |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
SECTION 1. Section 24-5-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 24-5 entitled |
"Maintenance of Town Highways" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
24-5-1.1. Alteration of roadways. |
(a) Any person, firm, or corporation including utilities and contractors who alter a |
roadway that is subject to the provisions of this chapter shall restore that portion of the roadway |
which that was altered to the same or better condition that existed prior to alteration. |
(b) Municipalities shall adopt by ordinance standards for use of steel or other suitably |
manufactured plates on municipal roadways which that shall, at a minimum, require compliance |
with the provisions specified in ยง 24-8-45. |
SECTION 2. Chapter 24-8 of the General Laws entitled "Construction and Maintenance |
of State Roads" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: |
24-8-45. Steel plate use. |
(a) The director of the department of transportation shall establish rules and regulations |
for the use of steel plates on roadway surfaces used to protect an excavation. At a minimum, the |
rules and regulations shall consider steel plates designed for the safety of vehicles and pedestrians |
to include: |
(1) Steel plates shall withstand traffic loading without movement; |
(2) When two (2) or more steel plates are used, the plates shall be welded in a manner to |
eliminate vertical movement; |
(3) All steel plates shall be marked with the utility or contractor name and contact |
information; |
(4) Steel plates shall be installed to extend a minimum of eighteen inches (18") beyond |
the edge of the excavation; |
(5) Temporary paving with a cold asphalt mix or installation of other suitably |
manufactured equipment shall be used to feather the edges of the plate to form a wedged taper to |
cover the edges of the steel plate; |
(6) Each corner of the steel plate shall be marked with durable and highly reflective white |
pavement marking tape no less than four inches (4") in width; |
(7) The exposed surface area of the steel plate shall be slip resistant when required by the |
DPW director or other appropriate municipal approval authority; and |
(8) All signage advising motorist motorists of the steel plate shall be in compliance with |
the current addition edition of the manual on uniform traffic control devices Manual on |
Uniform Traffic Control Devices. |
(b) The director of the department of transportation may authorize use of steel plates on |
roadway surfaces which that fail to comply with subsection (a) of this section in an emergency |
situation or for public safety purposes. |
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC002861 |
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