No motor vehicle or combination of vehicles equipped wholly with pneumatic tires, which has a gross weight, an axle load, or a wheel load in excess of the limits set forth in this Section shall be operated or moved upon any public road, street, or highway; and no vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be operated on or moved over any bridge or other highway structure if the gross weight, including vehicle and load, exceeds the posted maximum gross weight limitation for the bridge or other highway structure. (a) The total gross weight, in pounds, imposed on any public road, street, or highway by any axle group on a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed the following when the distance between the first and last axles of the group under consideration is: (1) forty (40) inches or less; the axle load shall not exceed twenty thousand (20,000) pounds; (2) more than forty (40) inches, but not more than eight (8) feet; the tandem axle weight imposed shall not exceed thirty-four thousand (34,000) pounds. (b) The total gross weight, in pounds, imposed on any public road, street, or highway by any axle group on a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed that resulting from application of the Bridge Formula: W = 500 (LN/(N-1) + 12N + 36) when the distance between the first and last axles of the axle group under consideration is over eight (8) feet and where W = maximum gross weight in pounds carried on any axle group,
AND RESTRICTION OF CERTAIN VEHICLES
L = distance in feet between the outer axles of any axle group, to the nearest foot, and N = number of axles in group under consideration; provided that two (2) consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of thirty-four thousand (34,000) pounds each providing the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles is thirty-six (36) feet or more; and provided also that the overall gross weight does not exceed eighty thousand (80,000) pounds. (c) No vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be used or operated on any public road, street, or highway with: (1) a load upon any single or tandem axle or combination of axles which exceeds the carrying capacity of the axles specified by the manufacturer; or (2) with a total weight in excess of its designed capacity as indicated by its designed gross vehicle weights or gross combination weights. (d) The single axle weight shall not exceed twenty thousand (20,000) pounds. (e) The maximum wheel load imposed upon any public road, street, or highway shall not exceed ten thousand (10,000) pounds. (f) The Director of the Department of Public Works (DPW Director) may place and maintain signs to limit the gross weight of a vehicle or combination of vehicles traveling over a bridge or other highway structure in the interest of public safety when it is determined that the theoretical load carrying capacity of the bridge or structure is less than the maximum gross vehicular weight allowed by this Chapter. (g) The DPW Director may issue an Overweight Vehicle Load Permit for a vehicle that meets the axle group load requirements of the formula in Subsection (b) of this Section, but with a gross vehicle weight in excess of eighty thousand (80,000) pounds. Such special permit shall be issued in accordance with § 5114 of this Chapter.
AND RESTRICTION OF CERTAIN VEHICLES
SOURCE: GC § 23206, enacted by P.L. 13-016:1 (May 7, 1975). Amended by P.L. 33-106:4 (Dec. 2, 2015). Amended by P.L. 36-074:6 (Feb. 3, 2022), effective upon the promulgation and adoption of rules and regulations by DPW pursuant to P.L. 36-074:17 (Feb. 3, 2022). 2022 NOTE: Pursuant to P.L. 36-074:17 (Feb. 3, 2022), “upon the promulgation and adoption of rules and regulations by the Department of Public Works in conformance with the Administrative Adjudication Law,” this provision shall be amended to read as follows: No motor vehicle or combination of vehicles equipped wholly with pneumatic tires, which has a gross weight, an axle load, or a wheel load in excess of the limits set forth in this Section shall be operated or moved upon any public road, street, or highway; and no vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be operated on or moved over any bridge or other highway structure if the gross weight, including vehicle and load, exceeds the posted maximum gross weight limitation for the bridge or other highway structure. (a) Except for designated haul road highways, the total gross weight, in pounds, imposed on any public road, street, or highway, by any axle group on a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed the following when the distance between the first and last axles of the group under consideration is: (1) forty (40) inches or less; the axle load shall not exceed twenty thousand (20,000) pounds, or the axle manufacturer’s rating, whichever is less; (2) more than forty (40) inches, but not more than eight (8) feet; the tandem axle weight imposed shall not exceed thirty-six thousand (36,000) pounds; (3) more than eighty-six (86) inches, but not more than one hundred forty-four (144) inches; the tridem axle weight imposed shall not exceed fifty thousand (50,000) pounds; and (4) any additional lift axle designed to help distribute weight shall not exceed twenty thousand (20,000) pounds, or the axle manufacturer’s rating, whichever is less. (b) The total gross weight, in pounds, imposed on any public road, street, or highway, except on designated haul road highways, by any axle group on a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed that resulting from application of the Bridge Formula: W = 500 (LN/(N-1) + 12N + 36) when the distance
AND RESTRICTION OF CERTAIN VEHICLES
between the first and last axles of the axle group under consideration is over eight (8) feet and where W = maximum gross weight in pounds carried on any axle group, L = distance in feet between the outer axles of any axle group, to the nearest foot, and N = number of axles in group under consideration; provided that two (2) consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of thirty-six thousand (36,000) pounds each providing the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem axles is thirty-six (36) feet or more; and provided also that the overall gross weight does not exceed eighty thousand (80,000) pounds. (c) The total gross weight, in pounds, imposed on any designated haul road highway, by any axle group on a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed the following when the distance between the first and last axles of the group under consideration is: (1) forty (40) inches or less; the axle load shall not exceed twenty thousand (20,000) pounds, or the axle manufacturer’s rating, whichever is less; (2) more than forty (40) inches, but not more than eight (8) feet; the tandem axle weight imposed shall not exceed: (A) thirty-six thousand (36,000) pounds upon completion of construction of the haul road highway to a higher design standard; (B) forty thousand (40,000) pounds upon completion of construction of the haul road highway to a higher design standard; and (C) forty-eight thousand (48,000) pounds upon completion of construction of the haul road highway to a higher design standard; (3) more than eighty-six (86) inches, but not more than one hundred forty-four (144) inches; the tridem axle weight imposed shall not exceed: (A) forty-six thousand (46,000) pounds upon completion of construction of the haul road highway to a higher design standard; and (B) fifty-two thousand (52,000) pounds upon completion of construction of the haul road
AND RESTRICTION OF CERTAIN VEHICLES
highway to a higher design standard; (4) any additional lift axle designed to help distribute weight shall not exceed twenty thousand (20,000) pounds, or the axle manufacturer’s rating, whichever is less. (d) No vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be used or operated on any public road, street, or highway with: (1) a load upon any single or tandem or tridem axle or combination of axles which exceeds the carrying capacity of the axles specified by the manufacturer; or (2) with a total weight in excess of its designed capacity as indicated by its designed gross vehicle weights or gross combination weights. (e) The single axle weight shall not exceed twenty thousand (20,000) pounds. (f) Maximum weight shall be eighty thousand (80,000) pounds, gross vehicle weight, for a combination of truck tractor and semi-trailer combinations but not more than ninety-five thousand (95,000) pounds on designated haul roads. (g) The maximum wheel load imposed upon any public road, street, or highway shall not exceed eight hundred (800) pounds per inch of tire tread width or the tire manufacturer’s rating listed on the tire, whichever is less. (h) The Director of the Department of Public Works (DPW Director) may place and maintain signs to limit the gross weight of a vehicle or combination of vehicles traveling over a bridge or other highway structure in the interest of public safety when it is determined that the theoretical load carrying capacity of the bridge or structure is less than the maximum gross vehicular weight allowed by this Chapter. (i) The DPW Director may issue a special permit for a vehicle that meets the axle group load requirements of the formula in Subsection (a) of this Section, but with a gross vehicle weight in excess of the allowable weight provided under this Section. Such special permit shall be issued in accordance with § 5114 of this Chapter. 2015 NOTE: Pursuant to P.L. 33-106:10, “This Act shall be come effective sixty (60) days after enactment.