The purpose of this chapter is to insure the safety and well-being of the Village's residents and to protect the Village's streets, alleys and roadways from damage and undue deterioration.
[HISTORY: Adopted by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Forrest as § 16.01 of the 2008 Municipal Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The Village Engineer shall determine the temporary seasonal and permanent gross weight operating limitations per axle of the various streets and roadways in the Village, basing the same upon foundation, base, materials, type of construction, seasonal weather conditions, seasonal frost levels, groundwater tables and general ground conditions, and all other factors involved in the construction and maintenance of such streets and roadways.
The Village Engineer shall state and determine a temporary seasonal and a permanent safe gross weight load limitation per axle for all vehicular traffic using the streets and roadways, and shall file a schedule of the temporary seasonal and permanent safe gross weight limitations per axle for each street and roadway with the Village Clerk.
The Village Engineer shall cause the gross weight limitations per axle to be posted in prominent places in and on the streets and roadways. All such gross weight limits per axle as so determined and posted in and on the streets and roadways shall be the various gross weight limits per axle for all types of vehicles traveling in, on, upon, and over the separate streets and roadways of the Village. Each separate street and roadway in the Village shall be restricted to vehicular traffic including passenger cars, motor trucks, and all other types of vehicles, which shall have a gross weight per axle not exceeding the amount determined as the various maximum safe gross weight limits per axle for such separate street and roadway and posted in and on the street and roadway, as hereinbefore set forth.
It shall be unlawful for the driver of any vehicle, whether passenger car or motor truck or any other type of vehicle, having a gross weight per axle of more than the maximum temporary seasonal or permanent gross weight limits per axle for any separate street and roadway in the Village as herein before determined, to come upon, traverse, or travel over or upon any such separate street and roadway in the Village.
Every separate entry upon any separate street and roadway by the driver of a vehicle having a gross weight per axle in excess of the maximum temporary seasonal or permanent gross weight limits per axle permitted upon such street and roadway shall be deemed to be a separate offense by such driver.
Any police officer having reason to believe that the weight of a vehicle and load is unlawful shall require the driver to stop and submit to a weighing of the same either by means of portable or stationary scales. If such scales are not available at the place where such vehicle is stopped, the police officer shall require that such vehicle be driven to the nearest public scales.
Whenever an officer, upon weighing a vehicle and load, as above provided, determines that the weight in unlawful, such officer shall require the driver to stop the vehicle in a suitable place and remain standing until such portion of the load is removed as may be necessary to reduce the gross weight of such vehicle to such limit as permitted under this section and shall forthwith arrest the driver. All material so unloaded shall be cared for by the owner or operator of such vehicle at the risk of such owner or operator.
Any person convicted of violating any provision of § 480-5 of this chapter shall be fined $0.15 per pound for each pound and for each axle having a gross weight of more than the maximum temporary seasonal or permanent gross weight limits.