Minnesota Session Laws - 2009, Regular Session

CHAPTER 144--S.F.No. 1091

An act

relating to transportation; restricting length limits for commercial vehicle combinations on portion of marked Trunk Highway 36;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 169.81, subdivision 3.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 169.81, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Length of vehicle combinations.

(a) Statewide, except on the highways identified under provisions in paragraph (c), no combination of vehicles may exceed a total length of 75 feet.

(b) However, the total length limitation does not apply to combinations of vehicles transporting:

(1) telephone poles, electric light and power poles, piling, or pole-length pulpwood; or

(2) pipe or other objects by a public utility when required for emergency or repair of public service facilities or when operated under special permits as provided in section 169.86.

These combinations of vehicles must be equipped with sufficient clearance markers, or lamps for night transportation, on both sides and upon the extreme ends of a projecting load to clearly mark the dimensions of the load.

(c) The following combination of vehicles regularly engaged in the transportation of commodities may operate only on divided highways having four or more lanes of travel, and on other highways as may be designated by the commissioner of transportation subject to section 169.87, subdivision 1, and subject to the approval of the authority having jurisdiction over the highway, for the purpose of providing reasonable access between the divided highways of four or more lanes of travel and terminals, facilities for food, fuel, repair, and rest, and points of loading and unloading for household goods carriers, livestock carriers, or for the purpose of providing continuity of route:

(1) a truck-tractor and semitrailer exceeding 75 feet in length;

(2) a combination of vehicles including a truck-tractor and semitrailer drawing one additional semitrailer which may be equipped with an auxiliary dolly;

(3) a combination of vehicles including a truck-tractor and semitrailer drawing one full trailer;

(4) a truck-tractor and semitrailer designed and used exclusively for the transportation of motor vehicles or boats and exceeding an overall length of 75 feet including the load; and

(5) a truck or truck-tractor transporting similar vehicles by having the front axle of the transported vehicle mounted onto the center or rear part of the preceding vehicle, defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 49, sections 390.5 and 393.5 as drive-away saddlemount combinations or drive-away saddlemount vehicle transporter combinations, when the overall length exceeds 75 feet.

(d) Vehicles operated under the provisions of this section must conform to the standards for those vehicles prescribed by the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety, as amended.

new text begin (e) For purposes of this paragraph, "total length" means the overall length of the motor vehicle including (1) bumpers and load; and (2) the length of any semitrailer, as defined in section 168.002, subdivision 30, and any trailer, as defined in section 168.002, subdivision 35. The maximum allowable total length of a commercial vehicle combination is 55 feet on that portion of marked Trunk Highway 36 from the intersection with marked Trunk Highway 95 and Washington County State-Aid Highway 23 in Stillwater, to the Stillwater lift bridge, located on marked Trunk Highway 36 over the St. Croix River in Stillwater. This paragraph does not apply to emergency vehicles; motor vehicles while engaged in work on the bridge or on the portion of highway described in this paragraph, including snow and ice removal and flood control; a vehicle carrying an oversize permit issued under section 169.86, subdivision 5, paragraph (d); and vehicles on the Stillwater lift bridge. new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day the commissioner erects signs giving notice of the prohibition established in this section. new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin MARKED TRUNK HIGHWAY 36 VEHICLE LENGTH RESTRICTION SIGNS. new text end

new text begin (a) No later than July 1, 2009, the commissioner of transportation shall erect signs at appropriate locations giving notice that the maximum allowable total length of a commercial vehicle combination is 55 feet on that portion of marked Trunk Highway 36 from the intersection with marked Trunk Highway 95 and Washington County State-Aid Highway 23 in Stillwater, to the Stillwater lift bridge, located on marked Trunk Highway 36 over the St. Croix River. new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner shall request that the state of Wisconsin post similar signs on the Wisconsin side of the bridge. new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment. new text end

Presented to the governor May 20, 2009

Signed by the governor May 21, 2009, 10:35 a.m.