[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Springfield as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 5-17-2010 by Ord. No. 3-2010]
This article shall be known as the "Motor Vehicle Weight Limitation Ordinance of Springfield Township."
This article is enacted pursuant to the authority conferred by the Vehicle Code, Act of 1976, June 17, P.L. 162, No. 81, Section 1, effective July 1, 1977 (75 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et seq.), as amended, and is intended to include and be subject to all provisions of Section 4902 of the Vehicle Code, 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 4902 and all Pennsylvania Department of Transportation regulations promulgated or to be promulgated under the Vehicle Code, by way of illustration and not limitation, under Sections 4902(1) and 6103 (75 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 4902(f) and 6103).
The following words when used in this article shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
EMERGENCY VEHICLE
A Fire Department vehicle, police vehicle, ambulance, armed forces emergency vehicle, one private vehicle of a Fire or Police Chief or Assistant Chief, or other vehicle designated by the State Police under Section 6106 of the Vehicle Code (relating to designation of emergency vehicles by Pennsylvania State Police).[1]
LOCAL TRAFFIC
Emergency vehicles and school buses, defined hereinafter, vehicles and combinations of governmental entities and utilities where their contractors are engaged in construction or maintenance on a posted highway or in a location which can be reached only via a posted highway, and vehicles and combinations going to or coming from a residence, farm, or business located on a posted highway or which can be reached only via a posted highway.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Any vehicle or combination as defined and/or governed by the Vehicle Code, 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et seq., as amended.
SCHOOL BUS
A motor vehicle designated for carrying more than 10 passengers, exclusive of the driver, and used for the transportation of school children.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 6106.
The Board of Supervisors has determined and hereby determines based upon engineering studies conducted by an engineer retained by Springfield Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, that the following roads may be damaged or destroyed unless the permissible weight of motor vehicles is restricted to the weight limits listed.
Route Numbers
Street Name
Between
Weight Limit
(ton)
T-313
Pennsy Road
Township Line to SR 0019 (Perry Highway)
10
T-315
Veterans Road
Brent Road to SR 0208
10
T-317
White Oak Road
Old Ash Road to Tower Road
10
T-319
Wrays Drive
Tower Road to Township Line
10
T-331
Church Road
Old Mercer Road to Old Ash Road
10
T-335
Falls Road
Old Mercer Road to Leesburg Station Road
10
T-379
Cannery Road
Township Line to SR 0019
10
T-381
Meadow Road
Woodland Road to Spring Road
10
T-384
School Road
Old Ash Road to SR 0258
10
T-384
Smith Road
SR 19 Perry Highway to Millburn Road
10
T-385
Bottle Hill Road (East)
Interstate 79 to Township Line
10
T-385
Bottle Hill Road (West)
Interstate 79 to Old Ash Road
10
T-560
Indian Run Road
Leesburg Station Road to Township Line
10
T-652
Creek Road
SR 0019 (Perry Highway) to Township Line
10
T-674
Old Mercer Road
Township Line to Township Line
10
T-696
Mill Run Road
Woodland Road to Millburn Road
10
T-698
Woodland Road
Old Mercer Road to Township Line
10
T-720
No. 2 Mine Road
Old Mercer Road to Township Line
10
T-750
Tower Road
Veterans Road to Township Line
10
T-752
Holstein Lane
Blacktown Road to end
10
T-754
Lee Road
Blacktown Road to Township Line
10
T-766
Oregon Road
Butler Pike to Township Line
10
T-770
Pine Road
Blacktown Road to SR 0208
10
T-944
Old Ash Road
Interstate 79 to SR 0208
10
Y-722
Spring Road
SR 208 to Township Line
10
A. 
Pursuant to the findings under § 395-4, and by the authority of Section 4902 of the Vehicle Code[1] and regulations promulgated thereunder, no motor vehicle or combination shall be operated upon any of the roads listed in § 395-4 with gross weight in excess of the weight limits listed for said road in § 395-4.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 4902.
B. 
Local traffic as defined herein shall be exempted from the restrictions imposed under Subsection A above. However, if the Board of Supervisors determines that any local traffic is likely to damage the road, the Board of Supervisors will so notify the registrants of the motor vehicle or combination and will also notify State Police. After two business days following delivery of the notice, or after five days following mailing of the notice, such local traffic vehicles shall not exceed the weight limits except in accordance with § 395-6 hereof.
The Board of Supervisors of Springfield Township may issue permits for the movement of motor vehicles or combinations with weights in excess of the restrictions imposed under § 395-4 and may require such undertaking or security as they deem necessary to cover the costs of anticipated or probable repairs and restoration necessitated by the permitted movement of vehicles. All actions taken under the authority of this section shall be taken in accordance with the rules and regulations adopted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation, as found in Title 67 of the Pennsylvania Code.
The Township shall erect or cause to be erected and maintained restriction signs designating the restrictions at the end of the portion of road restricted as provided in this article. In the case of a restriction on a road which has not begun or ended at an intersection with an unrestricted highway, the Township shall also place an advance informational sign at the intersection nearest each end of the restricted portion of the road which would allow drivers to avoid the restricted portion of road.
Any person operating a motor vehicle or combination upon a road in violation of a prohibition or restriction imposed under § 395-4 is guilty of a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $75, except that any person convicted of operating a vehicle with a gross weight in excess of a posted weight shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $150 plus $150 for each 500 pounds, or part thereof, in excess of 3,000 pounds over the maximum allowable weight.
The provisions of this article are severable. If any sentence, clause, or section of this article is for any reason found to be unconstitutional, illegal, or invalid, such unconstitutionality, illegality, or invalidity shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions, sentences, clauses, or sections of this article. It is hereby declared to be the intent of the Board of Supervisors of Springfield Township that this article would have been adopted had such unconstitutional, illegal, or invalid sentence, clause, or section not been included herein.