(A) (1) Municipal personnel, contractors or utility companies, while repairing or improving the streets of the city, or when installing, improving or repairing lines or other utility facilities in the streets, are hereby authorized, subject to control by the City Council, to close any street, or section thereof, to traffic during the activity and shall erect or cause to be erected, proper control devices and barricades to warn the public that the street has been closed to traffic.
(2) When any street has been closed to traffic under the provisions of division (A) above and traffic-control devices or barricades have been erected, it shall be unlawful for any person to drive any vehicle under, over, around or through the traffic- control devices or barricades, or otherwise to enter the closed area; except that, the provisions of this section shall not apply to persons while engaged in the construction, maintenance and repair, to persons entering therein for the protection of lives or property or to persons having their places of residence or business within the closed area, who may travel through the area at their own risk.
(3) Whenever construction, repair or maintenance of any streets utility line or facility is being performed, and the street is not closed to traffic in accord with this section, the municipal personnel, contractor or utility company concerned shall erect warning devices for the public.
(4) Every person using the street shall obey the warning devices.
(B) (1) Unless specifically made applicable, the provisions of this chapter, except those relating to reckless driving and driving while intoxicated, shall not apply to persons, teams, motor vehicles and other equipment while actually engaged in work upon the surface of a street, or to persons, motor vehicles and other equipment while actually engaged in construction, maintenance or repair of public utilities.
(2) All highway and public utility operations shall be protected by adequate warning signs, signals, devices or flagmen.
(3) The provisions of this chapter shall apply to persons and vehicles when traveling to or from work.
(47 O.S. § 11-1302) (2002 Code, § 70.07) Penalty, see § 70.99