New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 16 - TRANSPORTATION › Chapter 25 - UTILITY ACCOMMODATION › Subchapter 12 - UTILITY FACILITIES OCCUPYING LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY › Section 16:25-12.2 - Installation standards

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a) No
				above ground facilities of any kind shall be permitted within the limited
				access highway right-of-way.
(b) No
				above or below ground regenerator or backup power manholes or enclosures shall
				be permitted within limited access highway right-of-way.
(c) Handholes for the purpose of cable
				splicing or installation shall be permitted and shall not extend above the
				surrounding ground.
(d) Cable shall
				be placed in conduit.
(e) Above
				ground warning signs bearing the public utility's name and contact number shall
				be mounted by the utility upon adjacent control of access fencing at
				line-of-sight intervals or as specified in the highway project utility
				agreement or the highway occupancy permit.
(f) Service connections to adjacent
				properties from within the limited access highway right-of-way are prohibited
				unless the Department makes the determination that the connections cannot be
				otherwise accommodated and, therefore, will be permitted. If permitted, they
				shall be located as close as feasible to the highway's right-of-way
				line.
(g) Fiber optic duct banks
				shall be buried at least 54 inches deep. The utility shall install a continuous
				plastic ribbon marking tape along the duct banks at least 12 inches below the
				existing ground and above the fiber optic duct bank. The fiber optic duct bank
				shall be detectable by locator equipment operated on the surface. The utility
				shall bundle ducts to form one compact facility. The Department may allow a
				fiber optic utility duct bank to consist of more than four inner ducts, in the
				case of a multi-duct system, or more than four individual ducts, in the case of
				a single-duct system. The duct bank shall not occupy over 12 inches in width or
				24 inches in depth. The width of excavation shall not exceed 18
				inches.
(h) Fiber optic duct bank
				installations of one half-mile or longer shall require the utility to dedicate
				to the Department the use of one inner duct of a multi-duct system or one duct
				(two inch nominal size with associated separate manholes/handholes) of a
				single-duct system for State use. The utility shall construct the dedicated
				duct and associated manholes/handholes in accordance with the Department
				standards and maintain them in good repair. The State facility within assigned
				duct and manholes/handholes shall be the responsibility of the State. The
				utility shall not begin construction until the Department receives formal
				documentation indicating the utility's commitment to dedicate the duct
				use.
(i) The utility shall design
				and construct fiber optic duct banks to avoid future relocations within the
				limits of all projects listed in the Department's current fiscal year Capital
				and the 10-year Statewide Transportation Improvement programs. The Department
				may waive this requirement if the utility agrees to absorb all relocation or
				accommodation costs resulting from the construction of any project listed in
				the Capital Program and 10-year Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
				The utility shall not undertake construction within the limits of such a
				project until the utility and the Department execute a written agreement
				regarding the payment of future relocation costs.