Federal & State Regulations | Oversize and overweight movements - Alaska

General requirements

Reducible expectations	Permits are issued on the premise that the legal length and weight of the load described has been reduced to the smallest practical size. Permits will not be issued if weight can be reduced to legal limits by repositioning and/or practical removal of a part, portion, unit, or other appurtenance, so as to minimize the overweight condition. Permits are not issued to increase a payload, create a competitive advantage, or circumvent Alaska's size and weight regulations.
Permit timing	Single trip permits are issued as a single move (origin to destination) and valid for a three-day period. A permit which falls within certain parameters for size and weight may be issued for longer periods of time than a single trip permit. These permits are usually issued in 30, 90, 180, 270, or 365 day increments. An annual or 12-month time period is the longest period of time for which a permit will be issued. Multiple move permits are issued for the same load and same vehicle or vehicle with trailer traveling from the same origin to the same destination. The number of moves must be exact as there will not be a refund for any unused portion of the permit.
Method of application	Permits may be applied for at myAlaska on-line at https://my.alaska.gov/ .
Payments accepted	On-line only
Electronic permits	NS
Route surveys	Permittees making overheight movements must conduct a route survey prior to travel. Permittees may be required to coordinate with utility companies for such movements. Certain non-removable crane or backhoe booms may require that a qualified crane or backhoe operator reposition the boom while moving under an overhead obstruction.

Insurance requirements

Liability	The issuing agency may require the posting of a bond or evidence of insurance from the applicant to cover the cost of damages to the highway or other structures which may occur as the result of the movement of oversize or overweight vehicles.
Coverage	NS

Available permits and fees

Overdimension
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
3 days	Basic processing (in addition to permit fee)	$40
3 days	Overall WIDTH in excess of 10’ to 16’	$25
3 days	Overall WIDTH in excess of 16’	$35
3 days	Overall HEIGHT in excess of 16’ to 16’ 6”	$25
3 days	Overall HEIGHT in excess of 16’ 6”	$35
1 month	In general, the Department will not authorize movement over an extended period for any of the following vehicles: • Vehicles or loads over 10' 6" wide; • Vehicles or loads over 15' high; • Vehicles or loads over 17' high operating between the Fox Weigh Station and Prudhoe Bay on the Dalton and Elliot Highways; • Vehicles or loads that exceed 85' in length; or • Vehicles or loads with a rear overhang that exceeds 10'.	$85
1-3 months		$220
3-6 months		$330
6-9 months		$495
9-12 months		$550
ELLIOTT/DALTON corridor ONLY (between Fox Weigh Station & Prudhoe Bay)
3 days	Basic processing (in addition to permit fee)	$40
3 days	Overall WIDTH in excess of 10’ to 16’	$25
3 days	Overall WIDTH in excess of 16’	$35
3 days	Overall HEIGHT in excess of 17’ to 18’ 6”	$25
3 days	Overall HEIGHT in excess of 18’ 6”	$35
Overweight
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
3 days	Basic processing (in addition to permit fee)	$40
3 days	Gross weight of 150,000 lbs. or more	$25
1 month	In general, the Department will not authorize movement over an extended period for any of the following vehicles: • Vehicles or loads over 10' 6" wide; • Vehicles or loads over 15' high; • Vehicles or loads over 17' high operating between the Fox Weigh Station and Prudhoe Bay on the Dalton and Elliot Highways; • Vehicles or loads that exceed 85' in length; or • Vehicles or loads with a rear overhang that exceeds 10'.	$85
1-3 months		$220
3-6 months		$330
6-9 months		$495
9-12 months		$550
Oversize AND Overweight
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
All permits	Basic processing (in addition to permit fee)	$70
3 days	Overall WIDTH in excess of 10’ to 16’	$25
3 days	Overall WIDTH in excess of 16’	$35
3 days	Overall HEIGHT in excess of 16’ to 16’ 6”	$25
3 days	Overall HEIGHT in excess of 16’ 6”	$35
3 days	Gross weight of 150,000 lbs. or more	$25
1 month	In general, the Department will not authorize movement over an extended period for any of the following vehicles: • Vehicles or loads over 10' 6" wide; • Vehicles or loads over 15' high; • Vehicles or loads over 17' high operating between the Fox Weigh Station and Prudhoe Bay on the Dalton and Elliot Highways; • Vehicles or loads that exceed 85' in length; or • Vehicles or loads with a rear overhang that exceeds 10'.	$165
1-3 months		$385
3-6 months		$605
6-9 months		$935
9-12 months		$1100
ELLIOTT/DALTON corridor ONLY (between Fox Weigh Station & Prudhoe Bay)
3 days	Basic processing (in addition to permit fee)	$70
3 days	Overall WIDTH in excess of 10’ to 16’	$25
3 days	Overall WIDTH in excess of 16’	$35
3 days	Overall HEIGHT in excess of 17’ to 18’ 6”	$25
3 days	Overall HEIGHT in excess of 18’ 6”	$35
3 days	Gross weight of 150,000 lbs. or more	$25
Special fees
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
n/a	Permit replacement fee	$30
n/a	Permit change	$30
n/a	Permit canceled/voided	$30

Permit limitations

Permit Limitations: Movements With Overhangs
Front overhang exceeding 3' but not exceeding 10' (vehicle legal overall length)	• Flag the overhang with a red or fluorescent orange flag a minimum of 16" square; and • Slow moving vehicles (25 mph or less) are subject to the peak traffic restrictions.
Front overhang exceeding 10'	• Flag the overhang with a red or fluorescent orange flag a minimum of 16" square; • Display OVERSIZE or OVERSIZE LOAD signs and an amber high intensity rotating, flashing, oscillating, or strobe-type beacon which must be visible for a minimum of 500'; • A front pilot/escort vehicle may be required; and • Must obey peak traffic and holiday restrictions.
Rear overhang exceeding 4' but not exceeding 10' (vehicle legal overall length)	• Flag the overhang with a red or fluorescent orange flag a minimum of 16" square; • May travel daylight hours and hours of darkness; however, when traveling during hours of darkness an extended light bar or a rear pilot/escort vehicle is required; and • Slow moving vehicles (25 mph or less) are subject to peak traffic restrictions.
Rear overhang exceeding 10'	• Flag the overhang with a red or fluorescent orange flag, a minimum of 16" square; • Display OVERSIZE or OVERSIZE LOAD signs and an amber high intensity rotating, flashing, oscillating, or strobe-type beacon which must be visible for a minimum of 500' at the end of the load; • Must have either an extended light bar or a rear pilot/escort vehicle; and • Must obey peak traffic and holiday restrictions.
Rear overhangs exceeding 20'	• Flag the overhang with a red flag a minimum of 16" square; • Display OVERSIZE or OVERSIZE LOAD signs and an amber high intensity rotating, flashing, oscillating, or strobe-type beacon which must be visible for a minimum of 500' at the end of the load; • A rear pilot/escort vehicle is required; and • Must obey peak traffic and holiday restrictions.

Signs

General sign requirement	Signs must be displayed on the front and rear of the transport vehicle, roaded equipment, or load.
Escort sign requirement	Leading, the sign must be placed on the front of the escort vehicle. When following, sign will be placed on the rear
	Type	Size	Lettering	Background
General signs	OVERSIZE, WIDE LOAD, or LONG LOAD	4' x 12"	10" black letters, 2" brushstroke	Yellow
Escort signs	OVERSIZE, WIDE LOAD, or LONG LOAD	4' x 12"	10" black letters, 2" brushstroke	Yellow

Lights

General light requirements	When required on the permitted vehicle.
Escort light requirements	Lights required.
	Type	Placement
General light type and placement	Beacon or light bar amber in color and of a high-intensity, rotating, flashing, oscillating, or strobe style:	Roof-mounted or mounted as close to the vehicle's roof line as possible must be visible for at least 500', through a full 360°, and maintained for operability.
Escort light type and placement	Amber high-intensity rotating, flashing, oscillating, or strobe type beacon:	Roof mounted and must be visible for a minimum of 500'

Flags

	Type	Size	Placement
General Flags	Fluorescent orange or red	16" square	Affixed on all four corners at the widest points or widest point on each side or as stated on the permit
Escort Flags	NS	NS	NS

Escort vehicle markings

Size	Placement	Content
NS	NS	NS

Escort/Flagperson requirements

Escort car requirements

Permittees must comply with the escort requirements referred to in the Permit Manual, available at https://roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms/documents/14720/PermitsManual_rev_2013.04.12.pdf. Listed below are basic escort requirements:

Provide the required number of escort vehicles specified on the face of the permit;
Ensure all personnel are properly equipped and briefed as to their responsibilities prior to the movement;
Ensure that escort vehicles, operators, and/or flagpersons employed carry out the provisions of the permit; and
Ensure all escort vehicle operators are at least 18 years old for non-commercial vehicles, at least 19 years old for intrastate commercial vehicles, and at least 21 years old for interstate commercial vehicles and are a certified flagperson.

All permitted vehicles requiring an escort vehicle, except roaded construction equipment and other specialized vehicles, must be equipped with an operating CB radio. Company radios may also be used in addition to the CB radio for inter-vehicle communication. Convoyed off-road, self-propelled equipment does not require radios as front and rear escort vehicles are equipped with radios.

Escorts are required as follows:

Load Conditions	Escort Requirements
Vehicle or load over 10 ft 6 in. wide	At least one escort on all routes
Over 12 ft but not exceeding 14 ft wide	At least two escorts on all routes
Over 14 ft wide	At least three escorts, except on divided highways, when width does not exceed 16 ft, then must be accompanied by at least two escorts
Over 16 ft wide	Additional coordination and evaluation will be required
Over 17 ft in height	Preceded by an escort vehicle carrying an overheight pole mounted such that it is 12 in. higher than the highest point of the permitted vehicle or load (the escort vehicle is not required on routes or sections of routes where it has been previously determined in writing that there are no overhead utilities; overheight poles are not required north of the Fox Weigh Station).

Escort vehicles must precede the oversize vehicle or vehicle with load, unless otherwise stated on the face on the permit, when one escort vehicle is required.

Escort vehicles must precede and follow the oversize vehicle or vehicle with load when two escort vehicles are required.

Escort vehicles must remain on the roadway until the permitted load has cleared the roadway.

All oversize and/or overweight vehicles not in convoy must maintain a minimum distance of 800 to 1,500 feet from any other oversize vehicle(s) with load traveling with escort vehicles in the same direction on the same highway in rural areas. Front escort vehicles will travel ahead of the oversize vehicle or vehicle with load in rural areas as conditions dictate. Rear escort vehicles will travel behind the oversize vehicle or vehicle with load in rural areas as conditions dictate. In urban areas, the distance between the escort vehicle(s) and the oversize vehicle or vehicle with load must be reduced as local conditions dictate to provide maximum warning.

Escort vehicles must not pre-empt traffic in the opposing lane; opposing traffic is not to be stopped except in extreme situations.

Flagperson requirements

Flaggers and/or escort vehicle operators must:

Complete state-approved and accepted training at https://onlineflagger.com/ or another certified provider prior to working in this capacity (a fee is involved for the online class);
Provide verification of certification;
Be at least 18 years of age and capable of carrying out flagging responsibilities in accordance with the Alaska State Traffic Manual regulations; and
Wear a high-visibility or fluorescent orange jacket or vest and be equipped with a SLOW/STOP paddle (black letters with orange background or white letters on red background) and a red hand flag.

These items are to be utilized by the escort vehicle operator in the event that it becomes necessary to park the escort vehicle and stop or control highway traffic. At no time will the SLOW/STOP paddle and/or red flags be displayed out of the window of a moving vehicle. The retroreflective clothing must meet the requirements for flagging activities stated in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices available at http://www.dot.state.ak.us/.

Escort car/company requirements

Escort vehicles must:

Be either a passenger vehicle or light truck not to exceed a gross vehicle weight rating of 19,000 pounds (if the gross vehicle weight rating of the escort vehicle exceeds 10,000 pounds, the requirements of commercial vehicles apply to the operator of the escort vehicle);
Carry commercial vehicle insurance;
Not carry passengers;
Not act as a tiller man for any load;
Not carry a load that exceeds legal dimensions and/or weight or that obscures signage or lighting requirements; and
Not tow another vehicle while being used as an escort vehicle.

Escort vehicles must be equipped with the following items when escorting an extra-legal vehicle or load:

An 18 or 24-inch STOP/SLOW paddle sign;
Three bi-directional emergency retroreflective triangles;
One five-pound B,C fire extinguisher;
A reflectorized orange vest, shirt, or jacket;
A first aid kit; and
A flashlight with a red cone or lighted wand and extra batteries.

All escort vehicles must have operable communications between each other and the power unit/transport vehicle; company radios are an acceptable form of such communication devices. Two-way radio communication is required between the transport vehicle and escort vehicle(s). Communications must be monitored at all times between the escort vehicle and the transport vehicle during the move, except in properly marked zones where blasting operations are being conducted.

If an escort is required to have a height pole, it must be rigid, except for the topmost section (three feet or more depending upon overall height) which should be made of a flexible type of material such that if an overhead structure or wire is encountered that the pole will not damage the overhead structure or hook or catch the wire.

Escort car signs, flags, and lights

The required escort vehicle(s) must be equipped with OVERSIZE, WIDE LOAD, or LONG LOAD signs and a roof mounted amber high-intensity rotating, flashing, oscillating, or strobe type beacon which must be visible for a minimum of 500 feet.

When an escort vehicle is required to lead the oversize vehicle or vehicle with load, the OVERSIZE, WIDE LOAD, or LONG LOAD sign must be placed on the front of the escort vehicle. When following the oversize vehicle or vehicle with load, the OVERSIZE, WIDE LOAD, or LONG LOAD sign will be placed on the rear of the escort vehicle.

Travel restrictions

Overwidth and overheight loads are subject to weekend and holiday restrictions and peak traffic restrictions as noted on the face of the permit.

Overwidth and overheight movements are restricted to hours of darkness conditions only, unless equipped with proper lighting and retroreflective tape or as specified in an approved “Lighting Plan Attachment” accompanying the permit.

Overwidth movements must use all pulloffs/turnouts so that other traffic is not delayed more than 10 minutes and/or more than five minutes in rural areas.

Urban area peak traffic restrictions

Permitted loads are not allowed to travel within these boundary areas during travel restrictions:

Urban Area	Traffic Restrictions
Anchorage	The area inside the boundaries described by the Glenn Weigh Stations on the north and the Potter Weigh Station on the south.
Eagle River	The area east of the Glenn Highway between the North and South Eagle River Exits.
Fairbanks	The area inside the boundaries described by the Ester Weigh Station on the south, the Parks Highway-Sheep Creek Road-Goldstream Road-Steese Highway connection on the west, the Fox Weigh Station on the north and the Badger Road Interchange on the east.
Juneau	The area inside the boundaries described by the intersection of Mendenhall Road and Egan Drive, Thane Road (MP 1.82) and Mt. Roberts Road on the southeast, the Douglas Highway on the southwest, the Auke Bay ferry terminal on the northwest, and the intersection of Mendenhall and Egan Road to Mendenhall (Back) Loop Road on the northeast.
Kenai/Soldotna	The area between Wildwood Drive on the Kenai Spur Highway, the junction of Kalifornsky Beach Road and Bridge Access Road, the Kenai River Bridge in Soldotna, and the junction of the Kenai Spur Highway and Sterling Highway.
Ketchikan	The area that is in the boundaries described by the intersection of the North Tongass Highway and Wolf Point (just north of Ketchikan Ready Mix) on the north and the south city limits at mile 1.5 of the South Tongass Highway.
Palmer/Wasilla	The area inside the boundaries described by Palmer-Fishhook (Hatcher Pass) Road intersection with the Glenn Highway on the northeast, the Matanuska River on the east and southeast, Fairview Loop Road on the southwest, MP 45 of the Parks Highway on the west, and a line along the north from the northeast boundary to the west boundary with a midpoint at the Schrock Road and Lucille Street intersection.

Slow moving vehicles (25 miles per hour or less) are subject to peak traffic restrictions.

Overweight permits may specify speed reductions. Speed is determined by the percentage overweight.

Hours of darkness travel conditions

To travel during hours of darkness, the permitted vehicle or vehicle with load exceeding legal width, length, or overhangs must meet all the requirements specified in FMCSR 49 CFR Parts 383-399 and 571, 13 AAC 13 Chapters 3 and 4, and 17 AAC 25, as well as the conditions indicated on the permit.

Overwidth vehicles or vehicles with loads are subject to the following:

Any vehicle exceeding legal width or any load which extends beyond three inches on either side of the vehicle must have clearance lights on each side at the widest point. The clearance lights on the overwidth vehicle shall be placed such that they are visible to approaching traffic (from front, rear, or side); and
When width exceeds 10 feet 6 inches, two strips of white or alternating red and white retroreflective tape must be placed at least 24 inches above the ground at or near the widest point of the front and rear facing surfaces on each side. Each strip must be at least 12 inches in length with one strip placed as horizontally and the other placed as vertically as possible in order to clearly mark the corners; and
When width exceeds 16 feet, additional strips of alternating red and white retroreflective tape must be placed horizontally and vertically on the front and rear facing surfaces covering not less than half of the width, and indicating the corners.

Overlength vehicles or vehicles with loads are subject to the following:

Any semitrailer or trailer over 53 feet in length must have alternating red and white retroreflective tape on each side covering not less than half of its length and must be equipped with one turn signal on each side near the mid point (at least 20 feet from either end); and
Any vehicle with a load over 70 feet in length must have at least one four-foot strip of alternating red and white retroreflective tape on each side of the vehicle or load at or near the midpoint OR must have amber clearance lights placed such that they are visible from each side spaced not more than 16 feet apart.

Any front overhang exceeding 10 feet in length must have an amber high-intensity rotating, flashing, oscillating, or strobe light at the extreme end of the overhang. Any rear overhang exceeding four feet in length must have an extended light bar mounted on the rear of the overhang such that it is between two feet and six feet above the roadway. The extended light bar must have tail lights, stoplights, and turn lights placed on the light bar such that the extreme lights are at least four feet apart. A side marker light on the sides of the light bar is also required.

Any overhang exceeding 25 feet in length must have an amber clearance light placed such that is visible from each side near the midpoint at least 10 feet from either end, and as close as practical to the road surface.

When specified, clearance lights must be amber in color, except when located at the rear most points along either side and on the rear, which must be red in color.

Retroreflective tape when specified must be conspicuity or retroreflective tape (grade DOT-C2) a minimum of two inches wide. Each red and white segment must be between six inches and 18 inches in length.

Authorization to move during hours of darkness does not exempt the permittee from peak traffic, weekend, or holiday restrictions or any other restricted time period unless specifically noted on the permit.

In place of the above requirements, a separate lighting plan may be submitted for review.

Speed limits

The maximum speeds are as follows:

Permitted Load Conditions	Speed Limits
Mobile homes	Speed limit will be listed on the permit.
Over legal width but not exceeding 12 ft	Posted speed limit unless otherwise specified on the permit.
Over 12 ft but not exceeding 14 ft wide	45 mph on all routes unless otherwise noted on the permit
Over legal height up to 17 ft, during hours of darkness	45 mph unless other dimensional, weight, or equipment factors are more restrictive
Over 17 ft in height	45 mph unless other dimensional, weight, or equipment factors are more restrictive
Overload as a percentage of legal weight	Up to 125%, speed limit as posted >125% to 140%, 45 mph >140% to 150%, 35 mph >150% to 175%, 30 mph >200%, 25 mph

['Size and Weight Limits']

['Oversize and Overweight Movements']

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Oversize and overweight movements - Alaska