As used in this Article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
APPLICANT
Includes the applicant's agents, servants, representatives
and any contractors employed by it.
The applicant shall, within 24 hours of excavation, complete construction, installation or repair of any installation as detailed in §
136-17A(4). Where an excavation will be open more than 48 hours, permission must be received in writing therefor from the Township Engineer. No excavation will be started on a Thursday or Friday unless it can be completed and the surface restored by 6:00 p.m. Friday, emergencies excepted.
The applicant shall keep all openings and all
excavated material properly guarded and shall place and maintain warning
lights thereon of adequate nature to warn the public from one hour
before sunset to one hour after sunrise. No greater portion of the
street or curbing shall be left open, at one time, in excess of 500
linear feet.
At all times during the course of construction,
1/2 of the street shall be open for public travel unless the applicant
provides and marks, to the satisfaction of the Township Chief of Police,
a suitable detour. The applicant shall at all times be required to
make provisions for local residents and shall maintain the roadway
and adjacent areas free from needless obstruction.
The Township Engineer or his representative
will inspect the work periodically to ensure compliance with the Article.
An applicant under this Article shall give the Township Engineer 48
hours' notice of excavation so that inspections of the work may be
scheduled. The applicant shall pay the cost of inspections by the
Township Engineer, whether such inspections are the periodic inspections
by the Engineer or special inspections called for by appropriate township
officials.
All work performed must be done within the time scheduled in §
136-17A(7). If the applicant does not comply with this schedule or if, in the judgment of the Township Engineer, it keeps open and unrepaired any portion of the work for an unreasonable time, the street may be refilled and repaired by the Township of Bethlehem at the expense of the applicant upon two days' notice having been given to the applicant by certified mail, return receipt requested.
If dust, dirt or other detrimental material
continue to arise as a result of the work or neglect of the applicant,
its agents, contractors or representative or if a nuisance is, in
opinion of the Township Engineer, caused by the actions of any of
said parties, the Engineer may stop the work until the situation complained
of is eliminated. Streets must be kept broom clean. If dust persists,
streets may be required to be hosed clean.
No blasting shall be allowed unless approved
by the Township Engineer. All work shall be conducted so as not to
interfere with existing utilities, water mains, sewer lines, gas pipes
or electrical or telephone conduits, or the service connections thereof,
and in the event of injury to such utilities, it shall be the duty
of the applicant, at its own expense, to properly repair and replace
and otherwise correct the damage. The applicant shall not at any time
come closer than three feet to any utility line without the permission
and supervision of the respective utility concerned. Such utility
pipes shall be protected and temporarily supported as directed by
the utility company's representatives or by the Township Engineer
inspecting the excavation.
Where test holes are drilled not exceeding nine
square inches, such holes shall be filled with hot tar to street level
within 72 hours of repair of leak or other utility damage.
Where holes or excavations exceed nine square
inches, the applicant or his contractor shall:
A. Fill with quarry blend or other suitable backfill
material, as approved by the Township Engineer, to within seven inches
of the existing street surface. The excavation shall be tamped sufficiently
to keep future settlement to a minimum, such tamping to be as directed
by the Township Engineer or his representative.
B. Duplicate the existing surfaces with like surfacing
material to conform with said existing street surface, road surface,
curbing, sidewalk areas and grass plantings.
C. Replace all damaged or broken drain pipes or conductors,
either through the street or from buildings and residences to the
street.
In cases where it becomes necessary to resort
to tunnelling operations to reach the point of connection with the
main line, the backfill in such tunnel shall be of rammed soil composed
of a mixture by volume of one part cement to six parts of aggregate
material such as sand or three-quarter quarry blend.
It shall be the responsibility of the applicant
to dispose of all surplus materials from the excavation.
All Township streets so restored shall be subject to final release and acceptance in writing by the Township Engineer. No deposit money as specified in §
136-31A shall be returned nor any bond released until 18 months after the completion of the project and its acceptance by the Township Engineer, and then only upon the above written certification as stated that said work has remained in a satisfactory condition for said 18 months.
[Amended 2-7-1991 by Ord. No. 255-91]
Any person, persons or corporations who shall violate any of the provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to the penalties provided by §
1-15 of Chapter
1, General Provisions.