A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to perform any excavation or tunnel work, construct, remove, replace or repair any improvements, or place any form of construction in, over or upon any street or improvement or otherwise endanger or obstruct the normal flow of vehicular, bicycle or pedestrian traffic or normal flow of surface water, by the placing of any earth or other excavated material, barricade, structure, material or equipment on any street without first obtaining a written permit, approved and issued by the Director.
B. 
Except as provided in Subsection B(1) of this subsection, no permit shall be issued for a newly constructed or substantially improved street for a period of five years from the date of acceptance of such construction except in cases of emergency as described in § 735-30.8. Sixty days prior to the start of construction of permanent pavement or improvements on any street, the contractor shall notify, in writing, all property owners of record on such street, all utility companies serving such street, the Police Department and the Fire Department of such construction and of the provisions of this section.
(1) 
For a permit to be issued for excavation of any paved or improved street surface which is five years or less, the applicant, under the instructions of the Director, shall be required to secure approval from the City Engineer or his designee, upon review of the application, before any permit can be approved hereunder.
(a) 
Should an applicant be granted a permit by the City Engineer to open the paved street as described hereinabove, the fees for the opening shall be assessed as indicated in § 735-23, § 735-24 and § 735-25 herein.
C. 
The Director shall have the right to revoke or cancel the permit at any time should the permittee fail to comply with any of the terms, agreements, covenants, ordinances, and conditions thereof.
D. 
No permit shall be assigned or transferred except upon the prior written consent of the Director. Nor shall the work take place in any other than the location specifically designated in the permit.
E. 
No permit shall be issued for an opening during the period from December 1 to March 15 or where conditions exist due to severe weather, freeze, frost, etc., except for emergency openings or openings required by law.
F. 
If the application for street opening permit requires the street to be excavated or opened for a width equal to or greater than 25% but less than 50% of the existing roadway, if the opening exceeds one parking lane width (nine feet), or if the opening is along the curbline, the applicant shall be required to restore the pavement with a two-inch mill and two-inch overlay between the curbline and center line of the roadway.
G. 
If the application for street opening permit requires the street to be excavated or opened for a width of equal to or more than 50% of the existing roadway, or if the street is to be excavated or opened along the center line of the roadway, the applicant shall be required to restore the roadway pavement with a two-inch mill and two-inch overlay from curbline to curbline.
H. 
All applicants to the best of their ability shall accurately represent the width of the opening on the surface of the roadway on the application, as to take into account the necessary width to meet OSHA standards for trenching and excavation safety to achieve the required depth.
I. 
All street openings, excavations and restorations thereof shall be made under the supervision and control of the Director and shall be subject to the oversight and inspection of the City Engineer. The City Engineer fees shall be charged to the escrow established in § 735-25.
A. 
No excavation permit shall be issued unless a written application is submitted to the City Engineer.
B. 
The written application must be made using the forms provided by the City, including applicable fees established by this article.
C. 
The permit application shall specify the name and address of the applicant, the place and/or places at which the work is to be done, the type of the work, and the proposed dates of commencement and completion of the excavation and restoration work.
D. 
The application shall include or be accompanied by scaled or dimensioned drawings satisfactory to the City Engineer, detailing the following:
(1) 
Requirements that all nonferrous material contain a wire or detection device to accurately determine the location after installation.
(2) 
Requirements regarding the set elevations of all castings, including manholes, valve boxes, and inlet castings.
E. 
A separate application and permit will be required for each type of opening made. One application or permit shall be sufficient to represent more than one opening if the openings are for related work and separated by a distance equal to or less than 50 feet. Related work shall be defined at the discretion of the Director and/or City Engineer based on location(s), type of utility, required equipment, and required restoration tasks.
F. 
Permit applications for emergency work shall be submitted to the City within 72 hours following the initial excavation work. The application must include the information required by § 735-23, and notifications shall be in compliance with § 735-30.8 herein. Failure to comply with this section may result in the assessment of fines defined by § 735-30.9 herein.
G. 
Permit applications for the current annual year will not be approved for any applicant who has not satisfactorily completed the excavation and restoration work one year after the permit is approved, unless approved at the discretion of the City Engineer.
H. 
The Director shall grant such permit when all of the requirements of this article have been satisfactorily complied with by the applicant.
[Amended 9-9-2025 by Ord. No. MC-5582]
A. 
Each applicant for a permit shall pay a permit application administration fee of $50.
B. 
Each applicant shall pay an opening fee of $95 for the first 20 square feet of opening and an additional sum of $1 for each additional square foot of opening over 20 square feet.
C. 
For cement and concrete permit applications, see the fee schedule as presented in § 735-12B.
[Amended 9-9-2025 by Ord. No. MC-5582]
A. 
If the application and plan conform to the requirements of this chapter, provide for the work to be performed in accordance with the current City of Camden highway specifications and are approved by the City Engineer, the City shall issue the permit upon receipt of the following:
(1) 
Engineer review fee: as set forth in Subsection B below.
(2) 
Performance and maintenance guaranty: as set forth in § 735-25.
(3) 
Inspection fee: as set forth in Subsection C below.
B. 
Engineer review fees. In addition to the permit application fee as provided in § 735-24, largescale project applicants, and applicants deemed eligible by the City Engineer, for the following permits shall pay a minimum fee of $250 for the purposes of review and issuance of the permit, examination of drawings, and initial administrative work performed by the City Engineer or its designee, which fee shall be nonrefundable for the following openings:
(1) 
Applicants for sidewalk and driveway openings; or.
(2) 
Applicants for all curb and roadway openings.
C. 
Inspection and supervision fees.
(1) 
For all projects involving sidewalk, driveway apron or grass area openings or excavations, the minimum inspection fee shall be 5% of the City Engineer's estimate of the cost of repairing and replacing the sidewalk, driveway or grass area or $250, whichever is greater. For all other projects the fee schedule as presented in § 735-25B shall be used.
(2) 
For all projects involving curb and street openings and excavations, the minimum inspection escrow fee shall be 5% of the City Engineer's estimate of the cost of repairing and replacing the curb and street or $500, whichever is greater. For all other projects the fee schedule as presented in in § 735-25B shall be used.
(3) 
For all projects, the applicant shall be required to pay escrow fees for additional inspection required to oversee the correction of unacceptable workmanship as determined by the City Engineer.
(4) 
The inspection and supervision fees as provided for in this Subsection C may be partially or completely waived by the Municipal Engineer where special financial circumstances have been determined to exist.
(5) 
The cost for repairing and/or replacing the excavated area(s) shall be determined by the City Engineer.
A. 
No person shall be granted a permit to open pavement of any street until and unless there shall be deposited with the City, by certified check or bond, an amount sufficient to secure the cost of repairing and replacing such street or other surfaces or appurtenances. Prior to the issuance of a permit, the applicant shall deposit a performance guaranty with the associated maintenance guarantee as established in § 735-26 below.
B. 
The amount of the performance guaranty is 100% of the cost of the work performed unless otherwise stated by the City Engineer. The amount shall be computed on the basis of costs required to make proper restorations or repairs, as per the City Engineer's bond estimate. The minimum amount deemed sufficient for such purposes shall be $500 unless otherwise determined by the Director or the City Engineer. Alternatively, at the sole discretion of the applicant, an annual blanket bond in the amount of $150,000 may be posted to avoid the inconvenience and expense of obtaining individual bonds for each permit requested.
C. 
Form. The form of the guaranty shall be subject to the review and approval of the City Attorney and shall be issued by an institution authorized to transact business in the State of New Jersey.
D. 
Maintenance. The performance guaranty shall encompass the provision of a maintenance guaranty once the permanent restoration has been completed and accepted by the City Engineer. Upon completion of final and permanent restoration and acceptance by the City, the performance guaranty will be returned subject to the submission of a maintenance guaranty in the amount of 50% of the performance guaranty. The maintenance guaranty shall remain in effect for a five-year period for large-scale projects, and a one-year period for all other projects. The guaranty shall be released to the permit holder upon satisfactory completion of all restoration and repairs during the five- or one-year maintenance. The five- or one-year maintenance period shall commence after final inspection of the work performed under the permit and the acceptance of the work by the City.
E. 
Utilities. With the Director's/Engineer's approval any public utility, under the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Utilities, may comply with the following requirements in lieu of the City engineering escrow, security deposits requirements detailed in §§ 735-25 and 735-26 herein. Such escrow shall be replenished where such escrow falls below 25%.
(1) 
City engineering, inspection, and supervision escrow fees: In lieu of individually calculated and assigned escrow fees for each opening required in § 735-25, a public utility may establish an annual escrow in the sum of $30,000 to the City and file the same with the Director.
(2) 
Performance bond: In lieu of the in-security deposits required in § 735-26A, a public utility may execute an annual bond in the sum of $150,000 to the City and file the same with the Director in full force and effect in lieu of a separate bond or escrow for each required permit as surety for the performance and maintenance period. The maintenance period shall be for a period of five years or one year as required in Subsection D herein and shall commence after the final inspection of the work performed under the permit and the acceptance of the work by the City Engineer. Such bond shall be conditioned upon compliance with the applicable provisions of this chapter.
F. 
Permits approved for excavations in newly constructed or substantially improved roads, in accordance with § 735-22B herein, shall be subject to the following additional deposit fees:
(1) 
An assessment factor fee equal to 2% for each unelapsed month or fraction thereof of the five-year (60 months) restricted period shall be applied to the estimated cost determined in § 735-26A and added to the deposit required above. The maximum assessment factor fee shall be 120% of the estimated restoration cost total; provided, however, that no assessment hereunder shall be less than $1,000. No portion of the assessment charge shall be refundable, nor shall such assessment payment relieve the permit holder from the required insurance(s) and/or bonds associated with restoration of all street openings in recently approved or applied pavement areas.
G. 
The fees in Subsections B, D, and F above will be deposited in an escrow account by certified check within the City and/or bond and shall remain in effect until completion and acceptance of the project. The City shall deduct costs to repair the permittee's work from the escrow and/or seek and obtain costs/services to correct the work by way of the bonding company securing the permittee's work.
H. 
The permittee is required to submit a written request for refund of the unused portion of the deposit and/or release of the posted bond upon completion and acceptance of the work by the City. The request for refund of the unused portion of the deposit and/or request for release of posted bond will require City Council approval.
A. 
Notice requirement.
(1) 
Within 48 hours prior to starting excavation work and upon completion of the restoration, the contractor shall give notice to:
(a) 
The Director;
(b) 
The City Engineer;
(c) 
The City's Police and Fire Departments;
(d) 
The owners or tenants of properties abutting or adjoining the excavation work; and
(e) 
Any public utilities that may be affected.
(2) 
Such notice shall be in writing and state the nature of the work to be done, the location of such project, and when any openings or excavations have been closed, permitting traffic to flow thereon.
(3) 
In the case of either notice under this section, the permittee shall be required to provide the City with a certification that said permittee has notified all required parties, together with a list of those persons notified.
(4) 
Failure to provide notice as required may result in revocation of the permit and issuance of a stop-work order.
B. 
The approved permit must be visibly exhibited at the location(s) of the work, must be in the possession of the parties doing the work and must be exhibited to the Director or his authorized representative upon request. No such permit shall be valid except for the place, time and character of work specified therein.
C. 
All street openings, excavations, and restoration thereof shall be made under the supervision and control of the Director/City Engineer and subject to his inspection.
D. 
Restoration. The permittee shall restore the site or work promptly, upon completion thereof; all surplus excavated material and debris shall be removed, and the site shall be restored in a neat and orderly condition. All areas disturbed during the course of work, including those with topsoil, seed, or sod, shall be restored by the permittee to a condition the same or better than they were previously.
A. 
The completion date submitted by the applicant shall be the expiration date of the permit unless the Director requires a specific deadline.
B. 
If for any reason work is not commenced within the period of 30 days, the permit shall be void unless within such period the applicant shall resubmit the application to the Director for permit extension.
C. 
Following the application for a permit extension, the Director shall either return the deposit or extend the time for the beginning of the work for another period of 30 days by endorsement on the permit.
D. 
No permit that has been extended shall be valid unless the work is commenced within 10 days from the date of the extension approval.
E. 
Any street opening must be backfilled immediately after completion of underground construction. Temporary paving shall be completed promptly as trenches are backfilled. The temporary paving cover shall be left in place and maintained by the applicant for a minimum of 60 days and a maximum of 90 days, unless otherwise indicated by the Engineer, after which the temporary paving cover and required portion of compacted gravel shall be removed and replaced with the final paving required by the City Engineer. Improvements to the temporary paving that are deemed necessary due to settlement prior to approval for final paving shall reset the minimum number of days for temporary paving to be maintained by the permittee to 60 days from the date of repair. During the winter season, as determined by the Director, the permanent pavement replacement will be deferred until weather permits.
F. 
Sidewalks, driveway aprons and curbs disturbed or removed by permit shall be replaced within five days after the opening was made.
A. 
The permittee shall determine the existence and location of all underground utilities prior to beginning work, and protect the same against damage. The permittee shall contact the NJ One-Call Service at 800-272-1000 prior to beginning all work and provide the Director with the NJ One Call confirmation upon request.
B. 
The permittee shall not interfere with any existing utility without the written consent of the Director and the utility company or person owning the utility. If it becomes necessary to remove an existing utility, this shall be done by its owner.
C. 
No utility owned by the City shall be moved to accommodate the permittee unless the cost of such work is borne by the permittee. The cost of moving privately owned utilities shall be similarly borne by the permittee unless other arrangements are made with the person owning the utility.
D. 
The permittee shall support and protect all pipes, conduits, poles, wires, or other apparatus that may be in any way affected by the excavation work, and do everything necessary to maintain support, sustain, and protect them under, over, along or across such work for its duration.
E. 
Should any of the pipes, conduits, poles, wires or apparatus be damaged, the expense of repairs of same shall be the responsibility of and charged to the permittee, and his insurance and/or bond shall be liable therefor. The permittee shall be responsible for any damage done to any public or private property resulting from the breaking of any utility water pipes, sewer, gas pipe, electric conduit, or other utility, and his insurance and/or bond shall be liable therefor.
Prior to commencement of work, the permittee shall furnish the Director satisfactory evidence, in writing, that said permittee has in force and will maintain in force during the performance of the excavation work and the period of the excavation permit public liability and property damage insurance for the protection of the applicant, the City and its agents and employees from any and all claims for personal injury, including accidental death, and property damage. The insurance shall be in accordance with City standards as determined by the Bureau of Purchasing. In cases where the contractor or nature of the proposed excavation work are such as to present an unusual hazard or a higher-than-normal risk of damage or injury, the Director may require the provision of increased amounts of liability and property damage insurance. The amount of insurance shall be $1,000,000 single limit.
The applicant, in accepting a permit under this article, agrees to enter into a written agreement with the City so as to save, defend, and keep harmless the City and its Engineer from and indemnify it against any and all actions, suits, demands, payments, losses, costs, damages, and charges incurred by reason of any damages to property, injuries to persons, or any loss of life resulting from any negligence of the applicant, his agents, servants or employees, contractors or subcontractors occurring in the performance of the work covered by the permit or from any other matter, cause or reason relating thereto.
A. 
The permittee shall, at all times and at his own expense, preserve and protect from injury or damage any adjoining property by providing proper foundations and taking other measures suitable for the purpose. When, in the protection of property, it is necessary to enter upon private property for the purpose of taking appropriate protective measures, the permittee shall obtain written permission from the owner of such private property for such purpose, and if he cannot obtain such permission from such owner, the Director may authorize him to enter the private premises solely for the purpose of making the property safe.
B. 
The permittee shall, at its own expense, shore up and protect all buildings, walls, fences, or other property likely to be damaged during the progress of the excavation work and shall be responsible for all damage to public or private property resulting from his failure to protect and carry out said work properly. Whenever it may be necessary for the permittee to trench through any lawn area, the sod shall be carefully cut and rolled and replaced after ditches have been backfilled as required by § 735-30.4.
C. 
All construction and maintenance work shall be done in a manner calculated to leave the lawn area clean of earth and debris and in a condition as nearly as possible to that which existed before such work began. The permittee shall not remove, even temporarily, any trees or shrubs which exist in parking strip areas or easements across private property without first having notified and obtained the consent of the property owner, or, in the case of public property, the Director.
A. 
No permittee shall allow or permit to remain unguarded at the place of excavation or opening any machinery, equipment, or other device having the characteristics of an attractive nuisance likely to attract persons or which might be hazardous to their safety or health.
B. 
No permittee shall allow or permit to remain unguarded in the public right-of-way equipment, machinery or materials during non-work hours.
C. 
Every person making an excavation shall be required to place and maintain suitable warning devices, signs, caution notices, barriers, and lighting devices pursuant to the requirements of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey as amended and supplemented, and the current edition of the "Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices."
D. 
Temporary construction detours, sign selection and locations, roadway taper dimensions, barrel and/or cone spacing, locations of certified flagmen and/or police traffic directors shall be in adherence to the New Jersey Department of Transportation Roadway Design Manual, Chapter 14, Guidelines for Traffic Control Plans and Details, and approved by the Camden County Police Department.
E. 
All work shall be conducted in such manner as to minimize the obstruction of traffic and inconvenience to the public and occupants of adjoining property. Where less than two complete traffic lanes are maintained, flagmen shall be employed. Where an excavation extends the full width of a street, only 1/2 of such street shall be open and backfilled prior to opening the remaining half.
F. 
All persons making excavations in the streets shall inquire the Police Department to determine if flagmen or detours of traffic are needed, and/or whether the work is to be scheduled in order to minimize disturbance of the normal traffic flow.
G. 
The permittee shall be liable for all damages caused by the conduct of the work or failure to properly guard, light, or maintain the work and work area.
H. 
In accepting a permit under this article, the permittee shall enter into a written agreement to hold harmless and indemnify the City as provided under § 735-30.1.
I. 
The permittee shall pay costs of all required flagmen and/or police traffic directors. The use of certified flagmen shall be approved at the discretion of the Police Department. The permittee shall produce a copy of the flagman's certification upon request by the Director and/or Police Department or their respective designees.
J. 
Costs associated with police traffic directors shall be obtained by contacting the Police Department at (856)-757-7574 and requesting the services of an off-duty police officer(s) for traffic direction. All requests for officers must be given at least 48 hours prior to start time. Cancellation for prior scheduled officers must be given two hours prior to the proposed start time.
Unless otherwise directed by the Director, the following specifications shall govern the backfill in excavated trenches:
A. 
All openings shall be restored below grade with backfill consisting of soil aggregate NJDOT designation I-13 or suitable excavated material and shall be tamped in twelve-inch layers with a mechanical tamper.
B. 
All material not suitable for backfill and all excess backfill material shall be removed from the site and legally disposed of by the permittee.
Unless otherwise directed by the Director, upon completion of the opening and backfill as specified in § 735-30.4, the following specifications shall govern the maintenance and repair of street openings by the permittee.
A. 
Roadway pavement openings shall temporarily be restored with backfill pursuant to § 735-30.4 to within 12 inches of below the existing surface. The remainder of the trench shall be filled according to § 735-35.
B. 
No permittee shall commence permanent restoration on any street foundation or surface until the City Engineer has determined that settlement of the subsurface is complete and the area properly prepared for permanent restoration.
C. 
The final restoration shall be performed in accordance with § 735-34.
D. 
All roadway materials shall be manufactured to comply with the current edition of New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, as amended.
E. 
It shall be the responsibility of the permittee to maintain the temporary pavement restoration to the existing grade by the addition of hot mix asphalt base course material during the period prior to permanent pavement restoration work. Should the permittee fail to maintain such pavement opening, and upon 24 hours' notice by the Director, the opening may be repaired as specified by the City, and the cost thereof deducted from deposits received in § 735-26.
F. 
Driveway openings shall be replaced with the appropriate material and in compliance with the City's specifications for driveways. Driveway aprons constructed within the City's right-of-way and adjacent to public sidewalk shall be at minimum Class B concrete, six inches thick, reinforced with welded wire fabric four inches by four inches. Sidewalk openings shall be replaced with Class B concrete, five inches thick. Concrete work shall have a minimum compressive strength of 4,000 pounds per square inch after 28 days.
G. 
Where concrete curbing and/or gutters are disturbed, damaged, or removed, curbing and gutters of the exact configuration as the existing shall be constructed. Concrete shall be Portland cement concrete, air-entrained, conforming to the New Jersey Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Class B concrete, and shall have a minimum compressive strength of 4,000 pounds per square inch after 28 days.
H. 
All restoration work shall be performed to maintain and restore appropriate drainage abilities, and without damage or impairment of the City's stormwater control measures and facilities.
A. 
No such security deposit, certified check, or performance surety bond shall be released until all repairing and replacing of streets or other surfaces or appurtenances within the street area are fully complete to the satisfaction of the Director, and all fees are paid as provided in this article. In no event shall any such security deposit, certified check, or performance surety bond be released within a period of six months from completion of such work and only after written approval thereof by the Director is obtained.
B. 
In the event of the permittee's default of any of the terms, agreements, covenants, or conditions of the permit on its part to be undertaken and performed, said deposit may be used by the City for any expense incurred by the City by reason of such failure or default on the part of the permittee.
C. 
After the expense of such failure or default has been paid and deducted from the amount of the deposit, as determined, and certified by the Director, the balance shall be refunded to the permittee. If the security is insufficient to cover expenses of the City, it can place a lien in the amount of the deficit upon said property for collection in the same manner as taxes as authorized by resolution of the City Council.
All provisions of this article except §§ 735-23, 735-24, 735-25, 735-26 and 735-27 shall apply to any person and/or entity performing work in City streets under construction contracts with municipal authorities, and such contracts shall contain provisions and specifications to ensure compliance with this article.
Street openings or excavations may be made without obtaining a written permit as provided herein in cases of emergency which would reasonably appear to endanger public health or safety. In such emergencies, adequate precautions shall be taken as provided in §§ 735-29, 735-30, 735-30.1, 735-30.2, 735-30.3, 735-30.4, and 735-30.5. Immediate notice thereof shall be communicated to the Director, Police Department, and Fire Department. Notification of the emergency opening shall be provided to the Director within 24 hours following the initial opening. The twenty-four-hour notification shall be made via telephone, fax, or overnight mail. The formal application for a permit shall thereafter be made within a period of 48 hours following the initial opening, and compliance with all the provisions of this chapter shall be met.
A. 
Violation of any provision of this article shall be cause for a Municipal Court summons to be issued by the Police Department, Code Enforcement Official, Health Officer, or any member of the general public who is affected by the excavation work.
B. 
Any person, firm or corporation that shall violate any of the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction of same, be punishable as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty, § 1-15, General penalty, and § 1-17, Authority to revoke or suspend licenses and permits.
(1) 
Any permit may be revoked by the Director, after notice to the permittee, for:
(a) 
Violation of instructions/directives from the City Engineer, including unapproved deviation from the City's standard details for construction.
(b) 
Existence of any condition or the doing of any act constituting or creating a nuisance or endangering the lives or properties of others.
(2) 
Written notice of such violation or condition shall be served by the Engineer or Director upon the permittee or his agent engaged in the work. The notice may be given either by personal delivery to the permittee or by fax or by mail addressed to the permittee.
(3) 
A permittee may be granted a period of 48 hours from the date of the notice to correct the violation and proceed with the diligent prosecution of the work authorized by the permit before said permit is revoked.
(4) 
When any permit has been revoked and the work authorized by the permit has not been completed, the Director shall cause such work to be done as may be necessary to restore the area or part thereof to as good a condition as before the opening was made. All expenses incurred therein by the City shall be recovered from the deposit/bond the permittee has deposited with the City.
The provisions of this chapter shall not be applicable in those instances where the highway is maintained by the State of New Jersey or by the County of Camden, except in such cases where the City may have special arrangements with the state or county, or the inspection is performed by the City's representative.
The City Engineer is hereby authorized and directed to promulgate such written instructions as may be necessary for the construction of the street opening. Such instructions shall include but shall not be limited to:
A. 
Limitations on the size of an opening.
B. 
Restrictions for the protection of existing subsurface installations, monuments and drainage systems.
C. 
Requirements for the storage and removal of excavated materials.
D. 
Provisions for safety precautions to be taken by the permittee.
E. 
Restrictions as to the periods of day when the work may be performed.
F. 
Requirements for backfilling, inspection and final paving cross section for openings.
G. 
Requirements for utilization of trenchless technology wherever possible on all piping, trenches and hookups 15 inches in diameter or less.
H. 
Requirements that all nonferrous material contain a wire or detection device to accurately determine the location after installation.
I. 
All metallic structures, including manholes, valve boxes, and inlet castings, to be set 1/4 inch below finished road grade.
A. 
Final paving is to comply with the requirements in the City of Camden and the current edition of New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, as amended, herein referred to as "NJDOT Standard Specifications." A lesser specification may be allowed after review by the City Engineer.
B. 
Surface restoration.
(1) 
No permittee shall commence restoration on any street foundation, or surface, or curb and sidewalk, until the City Engineer has determined that settlement of the subsurface is complete and the area properly prepared for restoration.
(2) 
Bituminous pavement over bituminous base course: The street surface shall be permanently restored 12 inches beyond the excavation on all sides by milling the surface surrounding the excavation to a depth of two inches to extend the surface course restoration. The permanent restoration shall consist of a minimum of six inches of dense-graded aggregate, six inches of hot mix asphalt 19M64 base course and two inches of hot mix asphalt 9.5M64 surface course applied with appropriate tack coat to the adjacent pavement surface or a pavement cross section consistent to the existing pavement section.
(3) 
Bituminous pavement over concrete base course: The street surface shall be permanently restored 12 inches beyond the excavation on all sides by milling the surface surrounding the excavation to a depth of two inches to extend the surface course restoration. The permanent restoration shall consist of a minimum of six inches of dense-graded aggregate, six inches of concrete base course and two inches of hot mix asphalt 9.5M64 surface course applied with appropriate tack coat to the adjacent pavement surface or a pavement cross section consistent to the existing pavement section.
(4) 
Concrete surface over stone base: The street surface shall be permanently restored six inches beyond the excavation on all sides by sawcutting the surface surrounding the excavation to a depth of nine inches to extend the surface course restoration. The permanent restoration shall consist of a minimum of six inches of dense-graded aggregate and nine inches of concrete surface course installed with expansion joints adjacent to the existing concrete surface or a pavement cross section consistent to the existing pavement section.
(5) 
At the discretion of the City Engineer, the surface restoration shall extend the whole width of the roadway or of the travel lane.
(6) 
For road openings down the center of the cartway, surface restoration shall extend across the full width of the paved road (both travel lanes).
(7) 
For road openings along the curbline, the road shall be restored along the travel lane.
(8) 
The permittee is responsible for the full restoration of the roadway surface, including restriping, installation of raised pavement markings, speed humps and signage.
(9) 
Any concrete sidewalks disturbed, damaged or disrupted during the excavation or trench opening shall be replaced with concrete sidewalk conforming to all applicable standards of the City of Camden.
(10) 
Where concrete curbing and/or gutters are disturbed, damaged or removed, curbing and gutters of the exact configuration as the existing shall be constructed. Concrete shall be Portland cement concrete, air-entrained, conforming to the NJDOT Standard Specifications for Class B concrete, and shall have a minimum compressive strength of 4,000 pounds per square inch after 28 days.
(11) 
All topsoiled, seeded or otherwise unpaved areas disturbed in the course of the work shall be topsoiled with a minimum thickness of not less than four inches of loam-type topsoil. Fertilizer, lime and other soil conditioners needed to promote the proper growth of grass shall be incorporated and thoroughly worked into the topsoil. Seed or sod of species suitable for growth in the location and environment, and conforming to the requirements of the NJDOT Standard Specifications, shall be placed in all unpaved areas.
(12) 
All gravel shoulder areas disturbed during excavation or trench opening shall be restored and graded to provide and maintain the proper flow of drainage and to provide adequate lateral support of the abutting pavement structure. The gravel material shall be soil aggregate, Type I-6, conforming to the requirements of NJDOT Standard Specifications Section 901. The soil aggregate or gravel shall be a minimum thickness of not less than eight inches compacted thickness.
(13) 
All concrete drive aprons disturbed during the course of excavation or trench opening shall be replaced in accordance with all applicable standards for concrete drive aprons, as set forth in the City of Camden Land Development Ordinance,[1] and shall be constructed of Portland cement concrete, air-entrained, Class B concrete, having a twenty-eight-day compressive strength of 4,000 pounds per square inch and a minimum concrete thickness of six inches and shall be reinforced with welded wire fabric four inches by four inches.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 870, Zoning and Land Use.
(14) 
Unless this requirement is waived at the time of approval, all restoration of roadway joints are to be thermally fused.
(15) 
In the event of the failure to restore the street opening properly within a reasonable time after the opening has been made or to maintain the restored street properly for a period of one year from the date of the aforesaid certificate of proper restoration, the City may, upon three days' notice to the person receiving the permit, undertake the restoration or maintenance work and have recourse to deposit for compensation.
Upon notice to the City Engineer and under his or her inspection, the permittee shall immediately, after completing the work, refill, properly tamp and restore the excavation or opening with a temporary paving cover as follows: 10 inches of compacted gravel (NJDOT aggregate base course) in all areas and two inches of approved bituminous temporary patch material (cold patch) in paved cartways. The temporary paving cover shall be left in place and maintained by the applicant for a minimum of 60 days and a maximum of 90 days, unless otherwise indicated by the Engineer, after which the temporary paving cover and required portion of compacted gravel shall be removed and replaced with the final paving required by the City Engineer. Improvements to the temporary paving that are deemed necessary due to settlement prior to approval for final paving shall reset the minimum number of days for temporary paving to be maintained by the permittee to 60 days from the date of repair.
A. 
Unless written permission is obtained from the City Engineer, no permittee shall be allowed permission to cut, break into, excavate or open a street for a greater distance than 50 feet at one time or keep the same open for a period longer than one week. During the entire period the street is being cut, broken into, excavated or opened by the permittee, there shall be provided by the permittee a space at street level of at least 12 feet in width for the purposes of allowing vehicles free and unimpeded use of the same. In no event shall a permit be valid for a period of time in excess of 135 days after its issuance without the written approval of the City Engineer.
B. 
All cuts, breaks, excavations and openings shall conform in size to the application on which the permit is based and shall be performed in neat, even and rectangular sections. All excavations to a depth of six feet or more shall be shored and braced or provided with an acceptable shield to support the walls of the trench for the protection of workmen and to prevent the unintentional widening of the trench unless otherwise permitted by the City Engineer.
C. 
If in the opinion of the City Engineer any cut, excavation or opening would be dangerous if left exposed, the permittee shall erect a suitable barrier or railing around the same in such manner as to prevent danger to pedestrians or vehicles and place upon such barrier or railing and upon any building materials and appliances suitable and sufficient warning lights during the period of darkness. In any event, suitable and sufficient warning lights shall be maintained by the permittee during periods of darkness in the vicinity of the cut, excavation or opening. The barriers and lighting shall conform to the Department of Transportation Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices and any amendments. In addition to the permittee placing his name and phone number where he can be reached at all times on the barriers, the permittee shall also notify the City Engineer and local municipal authority of the condition of the unfinished excavation and furnish the above with his name and phone number where he can be reached at all times.
D. 
All permittees shall keep the area of their work clear of dirt and debris at all times and shall carry away and dispose of all excess dirt, debris and other material resulting from their work.
E. 
The road opening permit application and associated inspection shall be reviewed and approved by the City Engineer.
A. 
Maps of utility installations; additional information.
(1) 
Every person owning, using, controlling or having an interest in pipes, conduits, ducts or other structures under the surface of any street used for the purpose of supplying or conveying gas, electricity, communication impulses, water or steam to or from the City or to or from its inhabitants, or for any other purpose, shall file with the City Engineer within one year after the adoption of this chapter accurate information showing the as-built location, size and description of all such installations.
(2) 
Within 30 days after the first day of January of each and every year, such person shall file with the City Engineer additional information showing installations, including all those made or abandoned during the previous year; provided, however, that if no additions have been made to its installation during the previous year, a utility or authority may file with the Engineer a written statement to that effect within the period of time specified above. A utility or authority may, at its own option, elect to provide additional information throughout the year as it is available rather than proceed as above noted. The City Engineer may, however, request additional information periodically as may be necessitated by proposed construction or reconstruction of roadways within the City.