A. Authority for closure. City personnel or contractors, while repairing or improving the streets of the City, and City personnel and utility companies, when installing, improving, or repairing lines or other utility facilities in the streets, are hereby authorized as necessary, subject to control by the City Manager, to close any street or section thereof to traffic during such repair, maintenance, or construction. In exercising this authority, the appropriate personnel, contractor, or utility company shall erect or cause to be erected proper control devices and barricades to warn and notify the public that the street has been closed to traffic.
B. Driving onto closed streets prohibited; exceptions. When any street has been closed to traffic under the provisions of subsection (A) of this section and traffic control devices or barricades have been erected, it is unlawful for any person to drive any vehicle through, under, over, or around such traffic control devices or barricades or otherwise to enter the closed area. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to persons entering the closed area or zone for the protection of lives or property. Persons having their places of residence or places of business within the closed area may travel, when possible to do so, through the area at their own risk.
C. Traffic control devices required; obedience. Whenever construction, repair, or maintenance of any street or utility line or facility is being performed under traffic, the City personnel, contractor, or utility company concerned shall erect, or cause to be erected, traffic control devices to warn and guide the public. Every person using the street shall obey all signs, signals, markings, flag persons, or other traffic control devices which are placed to regulate, control, and guide traffic through the construction or maintenance area.
D. Determination of speed. Where any street in the City limits shall be under construction or repair or a detour shall have been designated by reason of construction or repairs in progress and the City shall have determined a maximum safe, careful, and prudent speed on the street or detour during the period of the construction or repairs and shall have plainly posted at each terminus thereof the determined maximum speed, no person shall drive any vehicle upon the portion of the street or upon the detour at a speed in excess of the speed so determined and posted.
E. Doubling of fines. Violation of the posted speed limit in the maintenance or construction zone may result in the doubling of the appropriate fine. For purposes of this section, "maintenance or construction zone" means any location where maintenance or construction work is actually in progress and workers present.
(Code 1991, § 15-210; Ord. No. 01-08, §§ 1, 2, 8-6-2001)