§ 23-1-59 — Rules and Regulations of Department

(a) The State Department of Transportation shall have the right and power to adopt all reasonable and necessary rules and regulations for the better construction, repair, and maintenance of the public roads and bridges in Alabama under the jurisdiction of the department which the department shall deem proper. The department shall have the power to enter into contracts and agreements with the owners or operators of telegraph or telephone lines, community antenna television systems, power transmission lines, gas districts, gas, water, sewer, or other pipelines which are constructed, to be constructed, or operated along or across the right-of-way of public roads, bridges, and highways of this state and to prescribe all reasonable rules and regulations as to the construction, repair, or maintenance of the poles, wires, and lines of such telegraph, telephone, community antenna television systems, or power companies, and pipelines of gas districts, gas, water, sewer, or other pipeline companies so as to insure the safety of the travelling public in using the roads, bridges, and highways in this state.
(b) The State Department of Transportation may prescribe any reasonable rules and regulations so as to prevent unnecessary trespassing upon or injury to any of the public roads, bridges, or highways of the state upon which state money may be expended or appropriated or upon any part of the right-of-way of any of the public roads or highways in the state upon which state money may be expended or appropriated.
(c) The State Department of Transportation may prescribe rules and regulations as to the weight or tonnage of vehicles to be used upon any of the public roads, bridges, or highways of the state upon which state money may be expended or appropriated, except as may be otherwise provided by law.
(d) The State Department of Transportation, in addition to the right, authority, and powers conferred upon it by this title, is authorized to make all such reasonable rules and regulations as the department may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this title.

Legislative History

(Code 1923, §1319; Acts 1927, No. 347, p. 348; Code 1940, T. 23, §§16, 35; Acts 1969, No. 419, p. 820; Acts 1969, No. 475, p. 931.)