(A) When thaws or excessive moisture render the improved highways of this city or any sections of them insufficient to bear the traffic thereon, or when such highways would be damaged or destroyed by heavy traffic during the period of thawing or excessive moisture, the maximum weight of vehicle and load, or the maximum speed, or both, for motor vehicles, as prescribed by law shall be reduced in the following manner:
(1) On state highways, within the Municipal Corporation, the Director of Transportation or City Manager, or his designee shall prescribe such reduction which shall not be more than 25%;
(2) On improved highways and all other roads in the city, other than state highways, the City Manager, or his designee, shall prescribe such reduction as the condition of the road or highway justifies, but in no case shall the reduction be more than 50%.
(B) The schedule of the reduction of maximum weights and speeds shall be filed, for the information of the public, in the office of the City Manager, or his designee. The City Manager, or his designee, at least one day before such reduction becomes effective, shall cause to be placed or retained on such highways, at both ends and at the points of intersection by principal roads, during the period of such reduced limitation of weight, speed or both, signs, of substantial construction, which shall conspicuously indicate the limitations of weight and speed, which are allowed on the highway and the date on which such limitations shall go into effect. No person shall operate upon any such highway, a motor vehicle whose maximum weight or speed is in excess of the limitations prescribed.
(R.C. § 5577.07) (Ord. 2-1998, passed 2-4-98)
(C) Whoever violates the weight provisions of R.C. §§ 5577.01 to 5577.07 or the weight provisions in regard to highways under R.C. § 5577.04 or their comparable section in this Traffic Code shall be fined $80 for the first 2,000 pounds, or fraction thereof, of overload; for overloads in excess of 2,000 pounds, but not in excess of 5,000 pounds, such person shall be fined $100, and in addition thereto $1 per 100 pounds of overload; for overloads in excess of 5,000 pounds, but not in excess of 10,000 pounds, such person shall be fined $130 and in addition thereto $2 per 100 pounds of overload, or imprisoned not more than 30 days, or both. For all overloads in excess of 10,000 pounds such person shall be fined $160, and in addition thereto $3 per 100 pounds of overload, or imprisoned not more than 30 days, or both. Whoever violates the weight provisions of vehicle and load relating to gross load limits shall be fined not less than $100. No penalty prescribed in this division shall be imposed on any vehicle combination if the overload on any axle does not exceed 1,000 pounds, and if the immediately preceding or following axle, excepting the front axle of the vehicle combination, is underloaded by the same or a greater amount. For purposes of this division, two axles on one vehicle less than eight feet apart, shall be considered as one axle.
(D) Whoever violates any other provision of R.C. §§ 5577.01 to 5577.09 or their comparable section in this Traffic Code shall be fined not more than $25 for the first offense; for a second offense within one year thereafter, such person shall be fined not less than $10 nor more than $100, or imprisoned not more than ten days, or both; for a subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, such person shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $200, or imprisoned not more than 30 days, or both.