Section 212.4. Application

(a) General. This chapter applies to the approval, location, installation, revision, operation, maintenance and removal of all traffic signs, signals, markings and other traffic-control devices on all streets and highways in this Commonwealth. All signs, signals, markings and other traffic-control devices erected shall conform to this chapter. Traffic restrictions, which were posted or erected prior to February 4, 2006, in accordance with any regulations in effect at that time, are not subject to this chapter.

(b) New restrictions. Except as noted in § § 212.109 and 212.117 (relating to bridge speed limits; and weight, size and load restrictions), engineering and traffic studies can be performed by police officers, roadmasters, maintenance supervisors or traffic technicians. The establishment or revision of a traffic restriction may be warranted if one of the following applies:

(1) One or more of the engineering and traffic study warrants covered in this chapter justifies the traffic restriction.

(2) Sound engineering judgment based upon a combination of all data sources substantiates the need for the restriction.

(c) Removal of an existing restriction. The removal of an existing traffic restriction may be warranted if one of the following applies:

(1) A study indicates that none of the engineering and traffic study warrants covered in this chapter justify the existing traffic restriction.

(2) The condition that originally justified the restriction no longer exists.

(d) Warrants no substitute for engineering judgment. Warrants established under this chapter provide the threshold for consideration of the installation of a traffic-control device, but are not a substitute for engineering judgment. The fact that a warrant for a particular traffic-control device is met is not conclusive justification for the installation of the device.

(e) Traffic-control during emergencies. During National, State or local emergencies including floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, terrorist events, sink holes and bridge collapses, the Department on State-designated highways and local authorities on highways under their jurisdiction may suspend existing restrictions or effect temporary restrictions without an engineering and traffic study as provided in 75 Pa.C.S. § § 6108 and 6109(a)(20) (relating to power of Governor during emergency; and specific powers of department and local authorities). These temporary restrictions expire at the end of the emergency.

(f) Highway construction projects. The standards in this chapter apply to all highway construction projects that do not have design field view approval before January 1, 2006, and all highway construction projects that have plans, specifications and estimate (PS&E) packages submitted to the Department’s Bureau of Design on or after July 1, 2006. Highway construction projects that have design field view approval before January 1, 2006, and PS&E packages submitted to the Department’s Bureau of Design before July 1, 2006, must comply with the standards applicable at the time of design. Those standards may be found in Department Publications 68, Official Traffic Control Devices, 1975 Edition, 201M, Engineering and Traffic Studies, dated December 1993, and 203M, Work Zone Traffic Control, dated September 24, 2002.

(g) Highway occupancy permits and utility work.

(1) The standards in this chapter are applicable to all utility work and work performed under a highway occupancy permit, except that work performed under a highway occupancy permit or utility work requiring a permit, with the permit issued before January 1, 2006, must comply with the standards applicable at the time the permit was issued. Those standards may be found in Department Publications 68, Official Traffic Control Devices, 1975 Edition, 201M, Engineering and Traffic Studies, dated December 1993, and 203M, Work Zone Traffic Control, dated September 24, 2002.

(2) The standards in this chapter apply to all utility work performed on or after January 1, 2006, using an emergency permit card under § 459.6 (relating to emergency work).