City of Bismarck Load Restriction Policy

Any vehicle with an actual or registered gross vehicle weight of 10,000 lbs. or more must use truck routes as provided in the city ordinance.

Non-Truck Route Streets

Trucks may travel off of the truck routes only to reach or leave a destination with the shortest possible distance of travel on non-truck route streets.

Local Deliver & Pickup

Trucks used for home delivery and pickup must use truck routes except when actually making deliveries or pickups. Travel between delivery or pickup sites must utilize truck routes when this will reduce travel on non-truck routes streets.

Year-Round Load Restricted Routes

Several streets are limited year-round to 6-Ton Load Restrictions. No vehicles with divisible loads on these routes may exceed the 6-Ton Load Limits regardless of destination. These streets are: Country West Road from Clydesdale Drive to Century Avenue, Century Avenue from Centennial Avenue east to the end of the pavement, Burnt Boat Road from Clairmont Road to North Grandview Lane, Ash Coulee Drive from Water Tower to Tyler Parkway/15th Street and Airway Avenue from Airport Road to Northern Plains Drive. 
 

6-Ton

Maximum Load Per Single Axle: ------- 12,000 lbs 
Maximum Load Tandem Axles: --------- 24,000 lbs 
Maximum Load Per Axle, group 
of Three or More --------------------------- 30,000 lbs 
Maximum Gross Weight ------------------ 80,000 lbs 
  
No vehicles with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 20,000 lbs. shall travel on 43rd Avenue North between 26th Street and State Street/US83 and Ash Coulee Drive between Serenity Court/Northern Sky Drive and  15th Street/Tyler Parkway.
 
All year around restricted routes are signed. The City of Bismarck reserves the right to change or establish additional load restrictions on city streets as deemed necessary. 
    

Year-Round Permits (oversized/overweight)

A Single Trip Movement Permit is required for any load of excessive height (14'), width, (8.5') length (110'), or weight. Contractors are allowed move up to a 10’ wide load before a permit is required. Permits shall not be issued for loads that are divisible during spring load restriction.

Overweight Load Permit Application

Self issuing Single Trip Movement Permits may be purchased in advance at the Bismarck Engineering Department. This self issuing permit does not eliminate the requirement of authorization number and pre-approved travel route from the City Traffic Engineer. 

Overweight permits are not valid for movement on bituminous pavements when the atmospheric temperature is 85 degrees or above or when otherwise deemed necessary by the City Traffic Engineer.
  
The City of Bismarck will grant reciprocity to permits issued by the NDDOT. The permit holder must contact the Engineering Department, a submit copy of the permit (Fax or email back to the City of Bismarck: (bisengd@bismarcknd.gov) Subject line “Traffic Section) for a trip authorization number and pre-approved travel route. 

Authorization numbers and pre-approved travel route will be required for all excessive size or weight loads (authorization numbers will not be required on monthly permits when load restrictions are not in effect) to travel on city streets. The authorization numbers and pre-approved travel route will be issued by the Engineering Department. The specified route must be on the permit. Lack of an authorization number will result in the revocation of the permit. For required permit authorization of City or State issued moving permits, permits must be submitted a minimum of two (2) business days prior to the move, for review and approval.

When loads are in excess of 15% to 20% over the legal load limits Public Works will be notified and pavement evaluation may be done before the permit is issued. Any damages will be assessed to the owner of the vehicle. Engineering and/or Public Works have the option of refusing to issue any overweight permit.

Every such permit shall designate the route to be traversed and may contain other restrictions or conditions deemed necessary by the Traffic Engineer. Every such permit must be carried in the vehicle to which it refers and shall be open to inspection by any police officer or persons authorized by the City of Bismarck. A person may not violate any of the terms or conditions of such special permit. All permits for the movement of excessive size or weight vehicles on city streets are for single trips only. 

Monthly Permits - Special Mobile Equipment

Special mobile equipment is a single self-propelled unit such as a mobile (truck) cranes, pump trucks, small scrapers, or similar single unit self-propelled units. These units are design and equipped to be driven on the roadway.

At the discretion of the Traffic Engineer, a monthly permit may be issued under this section for oversized or overweight vehicles that travel in the City daily basis or have multiple moves per day.

A permit issued is not transferrable and shall be valid only for the specific piece of equipment for which originally issued.

Monthly Special Mobile Equipment Permits will not be issued during spring load restrictions.

Spring Load Restrictions

In the Spring of the year when pavements are at their most vulnerable state, the City of Bismarck implements load restrictions. The timing is coordinated with the NDDOT implementation of load restrictions on state highways.

Spring weight limits and load restriction weight limits other than during the spring thaw.  1) Overweight permits will NOT be issued during the period of spring road restrictions and on roadways with road restrictions other than during the spring thaw, as indicated on current Spring Load Restriction Map or unless an emergency has been declared.  Overweight permits will NOT be issued during the period of spring road restrictions for any divisible load.  All overweight movements of non-divisible loads ("Non-divisible load" means a load which cannot be readily or reasonably dismantled and which is reduced to a minimum practical size and weight.), on ALL city streets will be subject to ton mile fees.  2) Self-propelled earthmoving equipment and other self-propelled vehicles that exceed 650 pounds per inch width of tire or 30,000 pounds on a single axle shall not be permitted to drive on bituminous pavement during the period of spring road restrictions and on highways with load restrictions other than during the spring thaw.  

Ton Mile Fees

Ton Mile Fees shall be assessed during spring load restrictions.  Load permits issued by the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) will be required to pay ton mile fees to the City of Bismarck when traveling on City of Bismarck streets. Fee payment must be arranged with the Bismarck Engineering Department, 701-355-1505, prior to the move.

Load Of Excessive Size

Over height/width/length Loads and Structures – super loads to include frac spools, power transformers, structures, portable class rooms, double-wide manufactured homes greater than 12’ and houses/garages, etc.

 An application for moving an Over Height/Width/Length Load & Structure shall be submitted 7 days prior to the move date for approval of the route and two days prior to the move with utilities signatures/approval before a moving permit will be issued. The mover is responsible for contacting all utilities that may potentially have infrastructure not just those shown on this application.

Building Moving Permit Application
 The form above must be completed in a two-step process:

1. The preliminary information concerning the mover, owner and travel route will be reviewed and approved.
2. Once the route is approved, the mover will contact the Utilities on the application and any other utilities that have infrastructure that could be impacted. Once the utilities have signed off for approval of the route the application will be returned to the Traffic Engineer for final signature and issuance of a moving permit.
3. Fax or email back to the City of Bismarck: (bisengd@bismarcknd.gov) Subject line “Traffic Section. 

Escorts For Vehicle/Load Of Excessive Size

Prior to moving any vehicle or load of excessive size within the city, the operator must contact the Bismarck Police Department and secure a police escort (if required) and pay the cost there of, if deemed necessary by the Traffic Engineer. The operator must comply with all administrative rules adopted by the Bismarck Police Department to facilitate movement, and a violation of those rules is a violation of this ordinance. Escorts can be arranged by contacting the Bismarck Police Department at 701-223-1212.

For additional information, permit purchasing, route approval and authorization contact Engineering Department at 701-355-1505. 

Permits
Building Moving Permit Application
Truck Route Map
Overweight Load Permit Application