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Heavy vehicles

Heavy vehicles routes

RCAs can recommend that heavy vehicles use particular routes for safety and environmental reasons and / or are restricted from others. The recommended routes can be for:

  • over-dimension routes;
  • 50 Max vehicles;
  • High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMV);
  • vehicles carrying livestock;
  • vehicles carrying dangerous goods; and
  • heavy vehicles (generally).

Heavy vehicle restriction signs can be used to indicate bypass routes, effluent sites and engine braking restrictions. These types of signs are described in Table 15‑5.

Table 15-5

Bypass route signs (as shown in Table 15‑5) can be either:

  • Advisory: rectangular in shape with black characters on a white background and a black border as set out in TCD manual Part 1; or
  • where the heavy traffic by-pass is mandatory for all heavy vehicles by virtue of by-law or other legal restriction:
    • Regulatory: rectangular in shape with black characters on a white background and a red border as set out TCD manual Part 1; or
    • rectangular in shape with white characters on a blue background and a white border, as set out in TCD manual Part 1, to indicate a designated route through an area. These can also be used in conjunction with blue truck route markers.

Additional marker signs can be used along the bypass route to help guide traffic. Additional information on types of route markers can found in TCD manual Part 2.

TCD manual

Where advance warning of a regulatory restriction is provided, signage should be ‘Advisory’, not use the red border or blue background.

Stock effluent sites

The selection criteria and location of these sites are determined by Regional Councils.

Engine braking restrictions

Engine braking restrictions are normally developed as part of the RCA bylaw process. These restrictions can also be added to the text provided on a regulatory information sign or use sign A45-5. These signs are shown in Table 15‑5.

Table 15-5

HPMV and 50 Max

The permitted routes for use by HPMV and 50 Max vehicles are shown on Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency maps and permits.

Full HPMV network map

Map of 50MAX routes

Signs

Table 15‑5: Heavy vehicle restrictions, bypasses, route markers, stock effluent sites and engine braking restrictions

Sign code

Example

Description/use

R5-3

No heavy motor vehicles

 Traffic sign of a black truck symbol with red slash prohibition and circular border

Should be used to indicate a section of road where the RCA has restricted entry of heavy motor vehicles: ‘No Heavy motor vehicles beyond the sign’.

For sign location, see note 1.

R5-4

Height restriction

 Traffic sign height restrictions which says 4.6m and it has red circular border

Should be installed at the structure abutment or on the approach to the structure or section of road at a location where heavy vehicles can turn around.

For sign location, see note 1

R5-7

Road classification - class C

 Traffic sign which says class c and it has red border

Where a road is likely to suffer excessive damage from heavy motor vehicles and the road has had a rating of Class C confirmed by the NZ Transport Agency an R5-7 sign may be installed.

Heavy motor vehicles can only be operated on Class C roads to deliver or collect goods or passengers to, or from, locations along that road.

For sign location, see note 1.

R5-7.1

Road classification - class I

 Traffic sign which says class i and it has red border

This sign may be used to identify that a road is Class 1 road and able to carry vehicles of standard maximum mass and size unless a special weight or size limit applies.

For sign location, see note 1.

A45-6

  Sign saying: heavy vehicle bridge restriction 3km ahead

An A45-6 should be used to inform drivers of heavy vehicles of a bridge restriction at a specified distance ahead '_' km to give them time to take an alternate route or turn around.

R5-8

Heavy vehicles - maximum length

 Traffic sign which says heavy vehicles max length including trailer 9.2m

Where the RCA has assessed the maximum lengths of heavy vehicles that can use the road beyond the sign.

For sign location, see note 1.

R5-9

Heavy vehicle - bridge limits

 Traffic sign which says heavy vehicle bridge axle set limits, and shows limits for axle types.

Used to indicate restrictions for heavy vehicles on a bridge - axle sets.

For sign location, see note 1.

 Traffic sign which says heavy vehicle bridge gross limits, and shows gross weight per number of axles.

Used to indicate restrictions for heavy vehicles on a bridge - number of axle sets and gross weight.

For sign location, see note 1.

 Vertical format:

Traffic sign which says heavy vehicle bridge limits axle sets, and shows weight per number of axles

Horizontal format:

Traffic sign which says heavy vehicle bridge limits, and shows weight per number of axles.

Used to indicate restrictions for heavy vehicles on a bridge - number of axle sets or number of axle sets and gross weight or speed. Type A is in vertical format; the choice of Type A or B is determined by the bridge site and available road verge on the approaches to the bridge.

For sign location, see note 1.
Traffic sign which says heavy vehicle bridge speed limit 30km/h

The sign specifies the bridge crossing speed limit for drivers of heavy vehicles.

For sign location, see note 1.

R5-10

Heavy vehicle - axle limits

 Traffic sign which says heavy vehicle axle limit 5000kg

Where the RCA has assessed the axle load limit for heavy vehicles that can use the road beyond the sign.

For sign location, see note 1.

A45-1

Heavy Vehicle bypass ahead ‘[distance]’ m

 Traffic sign which says heavy vehicle bypass 300m and it has black border

An A45-1 sign should be installed in advance of an intersection where the road ahead is subject to weight restrictions and particularly where the restriction is on a bridge approached along a difficult alignment on which the turning around of heavy motor vehicles causes problems.

An A45-1 sign should be supplemented by an A45-2 (L)/(R) sign.

For sign location, see notes 1 and 2.

A45-2 (L)/(R)

Heavy vehicle bypass direction

 Traffic sign which says heavy vehicle bypass and a black arrow pointing to the right underneath and it has black border

Should be installed on the approach to an intersection signed by an A45-1 sign.

Any change of direction, eg at intersections, along the route should be signed accordingly, using similar principles to signing detour routes.

Refer to TCD manual Part 8

For sign location, see note 3.

A45-3 (L)/(R)

Stock effluent dump site advisory

A45-3.1 (L)/(R)

Stock effluent dump site advance direction

 Traffic sign which says stock effluent disposal 300m on the right and it has black border

Traffic sign which says stock effluent disposal turn left 300m and it has black border

An A45-3 (L)/(R) sign is for stock effluent disposal facilities adjacent to the road. The sign includes the distance to the site and which side of the road it is on.

An A45-3.1 (L)/(R) sign is for stock effluent disposal facilities located on a side road. The sign includes directional information in the standard format, ie turn right/left '_'00m '.

A45-3 (L)/(R) and A45-3.1 (L)/(R) signs should be used to advise drivers of stock transporters of the presence of these facilities.

For sign location, refer to note 5.

A45-4

Stock effluent direction

 Traffic sign which says stock effluent disposal and a black arrow pointing to the left and it has black border

A45-4 signs are rectangular and contain the word message ‘stock effluent disposal’ and a directional arrow.

A45-4 signs should be used to indicate the entrance to stock effluent disposal sites. The directional arrow may be aligned horizontally or angled up at 45°, pointing left or right as required by site access road alignment.

For sign location, refer to note 6.

A45-5

Heavy vehicles please no engine braking next [distance] km

 Traffic sign which says heavy vehicles please no engine brakes next 4km and it has black border

May only be installed when the local authority has resolved that there is a need to restrict the use of heavy vehicle engine brakes on a section of road, usually in an urban area, to address noise complaints from the local community.

For sign location, refer to note 4.

A16-3

Special heavy vehicle route - symbol

 Traffic sign of a white truck symbol on a blue background

Recommended heavy vehicle routes may use panel with the correct symbol and arrow oriented in the appropriate direction. This is a sign element and should be used on directional guidance to indicate routes for heavy vehicles, not used on its own.

Table 15‑5 notes:

  1. The sign should be located where approaching drivers have an uninterrupted view of it over a distance of at least 120m in rural areas and 60m in urban areas.
  2. Where combined R5-9 (1)/(2)/(3) Heavy Vehicles – Bridge Limits and R2-1 Heavy Vehicles – Bridge Limits Supplementary advance signs are installed, the A45-1 sign should be located 100m in advance of them, otherwise the A45-2 (L)/(R) sign should be located 100m in advance of the intersection.
  3. The sign should be located where approaching drivers have an uninterrupted view of it over a distance of at least 120m in rural areas and at least 60m in urban areas and be in advance of the intersection by 15m to 30m.
  4. The sign should be located at the start of the section of road with a restriction on the use of heavy vehicle engine brakes and where approaching drivers will have an uninterrupted view of it over a distance of at least 120m.
  5. The sign should be located approximately 300m in advance of a stock effluent disposal site and where approaching drivers will have an uninterrupted view of it for a distance of at least 120m.
  6. The sign should be located at, or close to, the entry point to the stock effluent dump site and where approaching drivers have an uninterrupted view of it over a distance of at least 120m.
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