[Adopted 3-8-1983 by Art. 3]
Street opening permits shall be issued by the Public Works Director
of the Town of Bedford. Anyone wishing to open or excavate in any
street must make an application for a permit on a form provided by
the Public Works Director. Each application for a permit must be accompanied
by a fee in accordance with the fee schedule on file in the office
of the Department of Public Works.
Work authorized by a permit shall be performed between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. weekdays, unless the permittee obtains written consent from the Public Works Director to do the work during another time. Such permission shall be granted only in case of an emergency or in the event the work authorized by the permit is to be performed in traffic congested areas. In case of an emergency, the emergency provisions of Article IV shall apply.
No opening or excavation in any street shall extend beyond the
center line of the street before being backfilled and the surface
of the street made passable to traffic.
No more than 300 feet measured longitudinally shall be opened
in any street at one time, except by special permission of the Public
Works Director.
A.
Every permittee will be required to place around openings, excavations,
encumbrances, or obstructions such barriers, barricades, lights, warning
flags, and danger signs as may be required by the Public Works Director
to protect the safety of the general public.
B.
During the hours of darkness, adequate artificial lighting devices
are required to call attention to and indicate the actual location
of obstructions and hazards.
All barricades, warning signs, lights, temporary signals, and
other protective devices shall conform with the edition of the Manual
on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, current
on the date of application for the permit; which Manual is approved
by the Federal Highway Administrator as the national standard for
all highways open to public travel.
Traffic control devices shall be set up prior to the start of
construction or maintenance operations and shall remain in place only
as long as needed, as required by the Public Works Director.
Advertisements, notices, and signs other than for traffic control
shall not be displayed on or attached to any barricade or fence in
any highway.
A minimum of one lane of traffic shall be provided on all streets
at all times. The minimum width for temporary traffic lanes is 11
feet. Access shall be provided to all property at night and on weekends
and shall be provided to all places of business at all times.
A.
If a complete street closure is necessary, at least seven working
days' advance notice is required with confirmation of the proposed
closure three working days in advance of the actual street closure.
When the work area encroaches upon a sidewalk, walkway, or crosswalk
area, protective barriers, together with appropriate warning and guidance
devices and signs, must be utilized so that the passageway for pedestrians
is safe and well defined.
The location of all utility facilities shall be determined sufficiently
ahead of trench excavation work to avoid damage to those facilities
and permit their relocation, if necessary.
Property or street line monuments, survey reference points,
and permanent survey bench marks shall not be removed or disturbed,
unless specifically permitted in writing by the Public Works Director.
Provisions shall be made to provide for proper drainage during
construction, and the permittee shall be responsible for all claims
for damage or injury whatsoever that may arise from the obstruction
or use of any public sewer or drain in connection with the work contemplated
under the permit.
Shade trees shall not be cut down, trimmed, or otherwise injured.
Where it is necessary to cut and remove pavement, curb, sidewalk,
and/or other surface improvement, the material shall be cut and removed
by means of equipment suitable to the type of material to be removed
and in a manner which results in a minimum amount of damage to adjacent
improvements.
A.
Excavated material shall be replaced or backfilled in layers or courses
not to exceed 12 inches in compacted thicknesses and shall be compacted
at or near optimum moisture content using pneumatic tampers, vibratory
compactors, or other approved means.
B.
The material shall be compacted to not less than 98% maximum dry
density as determined by the Standard Proctor Method in accordance
with Standard Specifications.
A.
If unsuitable for backfill, excavated material shall be replaced
with granular backfill as specified in the Standard Specifications
for Road and Bridge Construction, State of New Hampshire Department
of Public Works and Highways, hereinafter referred to as the "New
Hampshire Standard Specifications."
B.
Water shall be uniformly applied during compaction in the amount
necessary for proper consolidation, but puddling will not be allowed.
The minimum depth to any substructure, except manholes, vault
entrance tubes, valve casings, and catch basins, shall be 24 inches
below the surface of the nearest edge of the traveled portion of the
street, and no excavation shall be less than 20 inches in length or
width.
Within the asphalt paved areas, crushed gravel (as described
in New Hampshire Standard Specifications) equal to the existing gravel
course shall be placed in layers not exceeding six inches loose depth
and thoroughly compacted. In no case shall the compacted depth of
crushed gravel be less than 12 inches.
In other areas, the present surface type shall be restored by
placing similar material on top of the trench to a depth equal to
that existing before excavation. Any existing grassland, additionally,
shall be fertilized and reseeded. Any asphalt or concrete sidewalk
shall have surfaces of equal depth, kind, and quality placed.
As the work progresses, all streets shall be thoroughly cleaned
of all rubbish, excess earth, rock, and other debris resulting from
such work.
After an excavation is commenced, the work shall be prosecuted
with diligence and expedition and shall be completed and the street
restored to its original condition, or as near as may be, so as not
to obstruct the public places or travel thereon more than is reasonably
necessary. In any event, the surface of the street shall be permanently
restored within a period of time not to exceed five days from the
date of completion of the project.
The Public Works Director, as a condition of the permit, reserves
the right to restore the highway or cause the same to be restored
under his directions, and the permittee shall reimburse the Town for
any or all liability and expense suffered by reason of such work.
The permittee further agrees to indemnity and save harmless
the Town of Bedford, New Hampshire, from all claims for damage or
injury whatsoever that may arise from the encumbrance, obstruction,
occupation, or use of said highway, and the applicant shall be accountable
for all damage that may occur on account of said encumbrance, obstruction,
or use of the aforesaid highway, the Town of Bedford, in no case,
assuming any responsibility or liability by reason of granting the
permit.
The person, partnership, firm, corporation, etc., who obtains
the permit to excavate a Town highway, shall be responsible for said
excavation for 30 months after all work contemplated under the permit
has been completed and the Highway Department so notified, and may
be ordered by the Public Works Director at any time during the thirty-month
period to improve or replace the work.
Each applicant for a permit shall be accompanied by a plan drawn
to an approved scale, sufficient in detail to provide for easy field
location of the work. Upon completion of the pavement restoration,
the Department of Highways shall be immediately notified as to the
location and time of completion.
