New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 17 - PUBLIC UTILITIES AND UTILITY SERVICES › Chapter 4 - UTILITY RIGHTS OF WAY AND EASEMENTS › Part 2 - REQUIREMENTS FOR OCCUPANCY OF STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM RIGHT-OF-WAY BY UTILITY FACILITIES › Section 17.4.2.18 - SAFETY MARKERS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF ABOVE GROUND UTILITY APPURTENANCES, WITHIN PUBLIC HIGHWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
Buried utility facilities with supporting above ground
				  appurtenances shall be marked as follows:
A. All existing buried utilities, including
				pipeline carriers, delivering natural gas or other gaseous products, water,
				sewage, steam, buried electric lines, telephone and other communication
				systems, petroleum products, and any other buried facilities with above ground
				appurtenances thereto located within the rights-of-way of highways under the
				jurisdiction of the Department shall have such above ground appurtenances
				clearly marked with the appropriate warning markers as described
				herein.
B. Above ground
				appurtenances to all buried utility systems such as pipeline valves, regulators
				and the like, pad mounted transformers, telephone pedestals, junction boxes and
				the like, shall be identified with a yellow, red, orange or other appropriate
				industry colored flexible fiberglass restorable blade, four feet six inches
				(1.65 m) minimum height above the ground surface. It shall be color coded a
				minimum of six inches (150 mm) in height and three inches (75 mm) width at the
				top of the blade. The blade shall be visible in all directions. The color coded
				portion of the marker shall be at least two feet (.61 m) above the surrounding
				high grass, weed or shrubbery line.
C. The utility owner shall maintain the
				markers in good condition; color faded markers shall be replaced as necessary
				so that their visibility to maintenance crews and others is not impaired. The
				markers shall not be placed within the Access Control Lines of Interstate
				Highways or Freeways in a manner that would create a safety hazard, or by
				methods contrary to this regulation.
D. The utilities shall commence the placement
				of these markers on new facility installations within public highway
				rights-of-way thirty (30) days after the date this new statutory regulation is
				approved and becomes effective (the approval and effective date is that date
				inscribed on page one (1) of this rule). The utilities are also directed to
				make these marker installations on existing utility facilities on a continuing
				basis whenever their maintenance crews are repairing or maintaining their
				existing facilities located within the public highway right-of-way of this
				State in rural areas and/or on certain designated public highways within
				municipalities.
E. Variances not
				involving significant changes to the marker specifications detailed herein or
				the rules governing the installation of utilities within the access control
				lines, set forth in Paragraph 17 [now 17.4.2.17 NMAC] herein, may be approved
				by the Engineer or their representatives, upon the submittal by the utility
				owner of a written detailed justification supporting the variance
				requested.
F. During this marker
				installation process, the utility shall observe all appropriate regulations
				stipulated herein pertaining to the installation of utility facilities within
				the public highway right-of-way under control of this Department.