By: Murr (Senate Sponsor - Garcia) H.B. No. 3225
(In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2015;
May 11, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on
Transportation; May 21, 2015, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 21, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to lane restrictions for certain motor vehicles in highway
construction or maintenance work zones.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 545, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 545.0653 to read as follows:
Sec. 545.0653. RESTRICTION ON USE OF HIGHWAY IN MAINTENANCE
OR CONSTRUCTION WORK ZONE. (a) In this section:
(1) "Commercial motor vehicle" has the meaning
assigned by Section 548.001.
(2) "Construction or maintenance work zone" has the
meaning assigned by Section 472.022.
(3) "Department" means the Texas Department of
Transportation.
(4) "Executive director" means the executive director
of the department.
(b) The executive director or the executive director's
designee may restrict a commercial motor vehicle to a specific lane
of traffic in a construction or maintenance work zone for a highway
that is part of the state highway system if the executive director
or the executive director's designee determines that, based on a
traffic study performed by the department to evaluate the effect of
the restriction, the restriction is necessary to improve safety.
(c) The department shall erect and maintain official
traffic control devices necessary to implement and enforce a lane
restriction imposed under this section. A lane restriction may not
be enforced until the appropriate traffic control devices are in
place.
(d) The executive director or the executive director's
designee may rescind a lane restriction imposed under this section
at any time that the executive director or the executive director's
designee determines that the restriction is no longer necessary to
improve safety.
(e) A lane restriction imposed under this section expires
when the lane that is subject to the restriction is no longer in a
construction or maintenance work zone.
(f) The department shall remove traffic control devices
erected under this section if the lane restriction is rescinded
under Subsection (d) or expires under Subsection (e).
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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