§ 26-123. Permission required; regulations.

(a)

Whenever it shall be necessary to transport a vehicle or conveyance which cannot be divided and which exceeds the total weight, width, height or length allowable under sections 26-96 and 26-97, the owner or operator of such vehicle or conveyance shall apply to the director of public works for special permission to travel on parish roads, except as provided differently in sections 26-124 and 26-126. Such special permission shall be granted to any applicant who satisfies and agrees to abide by the conditions stipulated in this section, subject only to the discretion of the director of public works regarding determination of routes, times of passage and speed limits for oversized vehicles proceeding through the parish. The conditions attaching to every grant of such special permission shall be as provided in this division.

(b)

Except as provided differently in sections 26-124 and 26-126, each applicant shall contact the director of public works and shall obtain verbal authorization to transport, move and/or haul an overweight, overwidth, overheight or overlength vehicle or conveyance upon furnishing the information required by the parish engineer. The furnished information and the verbal authorization, if granted, shall be filed in the department of public works.

(c)

All costs incidental to the movement, such as telephone calls, telegrams, etc., shall be borne by the applicant.

(d)

A vehicle or combination of vehicles, when operating under this authority, unless otherwise stated, shall not:

(1)

Travel or operate on Sundays or holidays;

(2)

Travel or operate during peak traffic hours;

(3)

Travel or operate during hours of darkness or inclement weather;

(4)

Travel or operate on any part of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways when the vehicle or combination of vehicles is so designed and/or loaded that:

a.

The width exceeds 12 feet;

b.

The speed of such vehicle is or will be less than 20 miles per hour, or less than the minimum posted speed;

(5)

Impede normal flow of traffic whenever possible;

(6)

Infringe upon the opposite bound lane;

(7)

Be left parked on the main-traveled portion of a street;

(8)

Operate at a speed in excess of the maximum speed authorized. (The speed limit may be less, but never more than 45 miles per hour.)

(e)

A vehicle or combination of vehicles, when operating under this authority, shall:

(1)

Be licensed in accordance with the state statutes or relevant reciprocal agreement;

(2)

Display warning flags (red in color and a minimum of 18 inches square) on all overlength and overwidth movements; flags shall be displayed on all four corners of the vehicle or conveyance. The escorting authority may require display of flags as deemed necessary when the aforementioned specifications are not practical.

(3)

Comply with all statutory provisions, except those waived by this article, including state required oversize permits if route includes a state highway.

(f)

The applicant shall agree to indemnify and hold harmless the parish and its duly appointed agents and employees from and against any claim or action for personal injury or property damage sustained by reason of the enforcement of this article.

(g)

When overall widths exceed 14 feet, provisions in section 26-126 shall apply.

(h)

Permission shall not be furnished to allow a vehicle to travel over highways or roads when the overall height conflicts with bridge superstructures, overpasses, overhead pipelines, overhead wires and lines, and/or any other overhead structure, until arrangements have been made between the applicant and the owners representatives of the structures for movement thereof.

(Code 1976, § 11-69; Code 1985, § 14-91; Ord. No. 3139, 2-9-1995; Ord. No. 3190, 7-13-1995)