1. (a) In the event of an emergency or accident affecting the public safety or convenience, such as a train derailment, under section 4964 of the act (relating to oral authorization following emergency or accident), authorization for an overweight or oversize movement may be granted prior to obtaining a permit, in accordance with the following criteria:

   1. (1) If the necessity for an emergency movement arises between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., other than on legal holidays, Saturdays and Sundays, the owner of the transporting equipment or the owner’s agent shall, in advance of making a movement, contact the district permit office nearest to the point of entry or point of origin in this Commonwealth, for a preassigned emergency movement authorization number. In the case of a super load, the applicant shall contact the central permit office to obtain authorization prior to movement.

      (Editor’s Note: For emergency movements at hours when permit offices are closed, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, not the Pennsylvania State Police, should be contacted at (800) HBG-PEMA or (717) 651-2001 prior to making any movement. Department personnel anticipate the promulgation of a regulatory amendment to Chapter 179 and will formalize changes to § 179.12(a)(2) at that time.)

   2. (2) For emergency movements at hours when the permit offices are closed, the owner of the transporting equipment shall, prior to making any movement, telephone the State Police at (717) 783-1864, and provide satisfactory information on the nature of the emergency, the vehicle to be permitted and the route of travel.
   3. (3) Within 72 hours of the movement, the owner of the transporting equipment shall apply for a permit at the district permit office nearest to the point of entry or point of origin in this Commonwealth, to cover the movement in the manner prescribed in § 179.9 (relating to issuance of permits).
   4. (4) The AASHTO policy pertaining to emergency movement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency mobile homes shall govern the movement of these units to a declared disaster area.
   5. (5) Road marches of military tracked vehicles may be authorized upon specified highways, in accordance with AASHTO policy.
   6. (6) Return movement from an emergency or accident site during daylight hours is authorized, except during the holiday periods specified in § 179.10(7) (relating to general conditions).
2. (b) Consistent with Chapter 403 (relating to hazardous materials transportation), a permit may authorize an overweight combination to haul radioactive material. A permit may also authorize cask safety cushions to exceed the maximum width limits prescribed in section 4921 of the act (relating to width of vehicles), however the cask itself may not exceed the maximum length, width or height limits.

Source

The provisions of this § 179.12 adopted June 4, 1976, effective June 5, 1976, 6 Pa.B. 1287; amended August 5, 1977, effective August 6, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2192; amended May 26, 1978, effective May 27, 1978, 8 Pa.B. 1471; renumbered May 16, 1981; amended January 20, 1984, effective March 21, 1984, 14 Pa.B. 224; readopted December 2, 1988, effective December 3, 1988, 18 Pa.B. 5364; amended May 14, 1993, effective August 13, 1993, 23 Pa.B. 2334. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (175745) to (175746).

Cross References

This section cited in 67 Pa. Code § 179.8 (relating to permit application procedure); and 67 Pa. Code § 179.10 (relating to general conditions).