Minnesota Session Laws - 2001, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 156-S.F.No. 174 
                  An act relating to traffic regulations; allowing gross 
                  weight seasonal increase for transporting carrots; 
                  amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.825, 
                  subdivision 11. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 169.825, 
        subdivision 11, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 11.  [GROSS WEIGHT SEASONAL INCREASES.] (a) The 
        limitations provided in this section are increased:  
           (1) by ten percent from January 1 to March 7 each winter, 
        statewide; 
           (2) by ten percent from December 1 through December 31 each 
        winter in the zone bounded as follows:  beginning at Pigeon 
        River in the northeast corner of Minnesota; thence in a 
        southwesterly direction along the north shore of Lake Superior 
        along trunk highway No. 61 to the junction with trunk highway 
        No. 210; thence westerly along trunk highway No. 210 to the 
        junction with trunk highway No. 10; thence northwesterly along 
        trunk highway No. 10 to the Minnesota-North Dakota border; 
        thence northerly along that border to the Minnesota-Canadian 
        Border; thence easterly along said Border to Lake Superior; and 
           (3) by ten percent from the beginning of harvest to 
        November 30 each year for the movement of sugar beets, carrots, 
        and potatoes within an area having a 75-mile radius from the 
        field of harvest to the point of the first unloading.  Transfer 
        of the product from a farm vehicle or small farm trailer, within 
        the meaning of chapter 168, to another vehicle is not considered 
        to be the first unloading.  The commissioner shall not issue 
        permits under this clause if to do so will result in a loss of 
        federal highway funding to the state. 
           (b) The duration of a ten percent increase in load limits 
        is subject to limitation by order of the commissioner, subject 
        to implementation of springtime load restrictions, or March 7.  
           (c) When the ten percent increase is in effect, a permit is 
        required for a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer 
        combination that has a gross weight in excess of 80,000 pounds, 
        an axle group weight in excess of that prescribed in subdivision 
        10, or a single axle weight in excess of 20,000 pounds and which 
        travels on interstate routes.  
           (d) In cases where gross weights in an amount less than 
        that set forth in this section are fixed, limited, or restricted 
        on a highway or bridge by or under another section of this 
        chapter, the lesser gross weight as fixed, limited, or 
        restricted may not be exceeded and must control instead of the 
        gross weights set forth in this section.  
           (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
        subdivision, no vehicle may exceed a total gross vehicle weight 
        of 80,000 pounds on routes which have not been designated by the 
        commissioner under section 169.832, subdivision 11. 
           (f) The commissioner may, after determining the ability of 
        the highway structure and frost condition to support additional 
        loads, grant a permit extending seasonal increases for vehicles 
        using portions of routes falling within two miles of the 
        southern boundary of the zone described under paragraph (a), 
        clause (2). 
           Presented to the governor May 18, 2001 
           Signed by the governor May 22, 2001, 10:21 a.m.