Overhead powerline clearence for gravel roadway

it was discussed on here once before, a few years back.

14 feet if it's a truck traveled road.

were there any warning signs about truck clearances?

 

Around these parts it's 15ft. Call the Power company. I bet it's been down before.

A little looking on the Net.

When we move up to power lines over public streets, roadways without truck traffic and alleys, with voltages of 300-600 volts, a minimum clearance of 15' is required.
And for power lines over alleys, public streets, non-residential driveways, roadways with truck traffic, with maximum voltages of 600 volts, a minimum clearance of 18' is required.

 

NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE ( NEC ) Suggested for power lines over alleys, public streets, non-residential driveways, roadways with truck traffic, with maximum voltages of 600 volts, a minimum clearance of 18' is required.

 

I'm betting that this was a recently installed "service drop," from a power line on one side of the road, to a power customer on the other side. Or it could have even been a "private drop," from a customer on one side of the road to a pump house, (or something similar,) on the other side. May not have even been installed by the power company, but by the property owner, (or his electrician.) Usually, power utility companies are much more responsible than putting in low lines over roads.

Are you sure it was power, or could it have been cable TV? Those outfits are notorious for putting in lines that are not up to code. I took one out one time in the driveway of a county building, with a 12'6" trailer. Had absolutely no repercussions from it.

OTOH, I was delivering to a school one time, and was following directions given by the school custodian, when I noticed a power line that I certainly would have taken out, running from a main building to a portable class room. This was not on a street, but on a driveway on school property. Custodian was less than thrilled at having me tell him I'd drop the freight right there, and it was up to him to take it where he wanted it. . .

 

regardless of what the laws are. it's the drivers responsibility to be aware of his surroundings.

that means. "LOOKING UP"

i just delivered a load this past monday, on a very narrow hillside road barely wide enough for cars. the kind with trees and powerlines decorating the road. the guy took me on a test drive. everything looked good from a utility standpoint. but when i drove up. come right up on a 12 foot tree limb. i didin't notice on the test drive. the guy had to chop it down.

 

In NY has to be 14 feet or higher. That's all roadways. The only time my job will write you up is if you had no reason to be on that road, like residential

 

Contact your insurance agent. Not to file a claim but just to alert them of a possible claim. I have done this in the past with down lines. Usually nothing comes of these down lines, the utility companies have always repaired with no chargebacks.
I hauled house for many years a lot of residential areas have low wires. Never had to file a claim.
Just a little CYA. Also it keeps third parties from trying to extract a few dollars from you with claims of property damage.

 

Sounds good in theory there snowwy...but not completely true. If the road has no embargo, or restriction on it....and there is no signage of any kind or warning of a low clearance of any kind---one should feel safe enough to travel at posted speeds without extra worry. And driving at posted speeds, would most likely not give the most seasoned of drivers enough time to notice an overhead wire in time to not hit it (because you are not looking for it).

Can't keep us "guessing" because we are supposed to be professionals. We as motorists (regardless of weight and number of tires) have a certain expectation of the Department of Transportation...and that is to inform us of which roads we can safely travel, and the easiest way to do that is through signage.

I just hope the OP's company doesn't try to consider this incident "preventable" because snowwy feels everyone should be aware of their surroundings regardless of circumstance.