South Dakota Administrative Rules › Title 70 - Department of Transportation › Article 70:04 - Highway signs and rights-of-way › Chapter 70:04:05 - Utility accommodations on noninterstate rights-of-way › Section 70:04:05:08 - General criteria for attachments to highway structures - Permit necessary

Current through Register Vol. 51, page 10, July 15, 2024
A utility company may not locate, relocate, expand, or otherwise place and maintain a utility on any bridge or other highway structure of the department without first obtaining approval of a permit application submitted in accordance with §
									70:04:05:14.
The general criteria for considering utility permit applications are as follows:
(1) Utility attachments to bridges or other highway structures are not permitted if the region engineer determines it is reasonable to locate facilities elsewhere. If other locations prove to be difficult and unreasonably costly, the department may consider attachments of utility facilities to a bridge structure if the attachment can be made without materially affecting the structure, the safety of traffic, the efficiency of maintenance of the structure, the efficiency of bridge inspection, or the bridge's appearance and if the structure can support the additional load;
(2) Utility facilities are not permitted to be attached to bridges or other highway structures on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places without prior written consent of the state historic preservation officer;
(3) Utility installations must be attached to the bridge structure beneath the structure's floor, between the outer girders or beams, or within a cell of a box girder and must be at an elevation above low superstructure steel or concrete. Utility attachments to the outside of bridges are not permitted unless there is no reasonable alternative in the judgment of the region engineer. Utilities attached to the outside of the structure must be on the downstream side of the bridge or other highway structure. Attachments of utilities to the bridge rail or guardrail or their anchorage systems is not permitted;
(4) The location of utility facilities on a structure which will interfere with access to parts of the structure for inspection, painting, or repair are not permitted. Manholes for utility access are not permitted in the bridge deck;
(5) Utility facilities must be firmly attached to the bridge structure and padded, where necessary, to eliminate noise and abrasion due to movements caused by temperature, wind, or traffic;
(6) Installation of utility facilities through the abutment or wingwall of an existing bridge are not permitted. In locations where a utility facility, attached to a structure, is carried beyond the back of the bridge abutment, the facility must curve or angle out to its proper alignment outside the roadbed area as quickly as is practicable;
(7) Utility facilities may be attached to structures by hangers or roller assemblies suspended either from inserts in the underside of the bridge floor or from hanger rods clamped to a flange of a superstructure member. Lead anchors are not allowed. Bolting through the bridge floor or concrete beams is not permitted. Welding of attachments to steel members or bolting through such members is not permitted. Where there is transverse bridge steel extending sufficiently from the underside of the bridge floor to provide adequate clearance in the judgment of the region engineer, utility facilities may be installed on rollers or neoprene padded saddles mounted atop the transverse members if the region engineer finds the members to be structurally able to carry the utility. Steel components of attachment hardware must be galvanized or of stainless steel. If these components are not commercially available as galvanized or stainless steel, the region engineer may allow painting;
(8) The design of a utility facility attached to a bridge or highway structure must include provisions for lineal expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. Line bends or expansion couplings may be used for this purpose. Materials used for attaching a utility facility to the structure must be of such composition that no deterioration of the structure due to corrosion can occur;
(9) A utility facility and associated appurtenances attached to a highway structure must be painted when requested by the department. The type and color of the paint must be approved by the region engineer;
(10) Attachments to structures must be inspected by the owner, and the owner must repair any deficiencies immediately;
(11) Utility lines that transport materials that could pollute a stream must have a manual or automatic shutoff valve placed at each end of the structure; and
(12) Each proposed bridge or highway structure attachment is considered separately by the department, and a permit application must be made for each attachment.
General Authority:
SDCL  31-26-22.
Law Implemented:
SDCL  31-26-3,  31-26-22.