A county commissioners court may restrict through traffic on certain highways by vehicle class, but it must first submit the proposal to the department and cannot enforce it until approved and traffic-control devices are in place.
Sec. 545.0652. COUNTY RESTRICTION ON USE OF HIGHWAY. (a) In this section: (1) "Department" means the Texas Department of Transportation. (2) "Highway" means a public roadway that: (A) is in the designated state highway system; (B) is designated a controlled access facility; and (C) has a minimum of three travel lanes, excluding access or frontage roads, in each direction of traffic. (b) A county commissioners court by order may restrict, by class of vehicle, through traffic to two or more designated lanes of a highway located in the county and outside the jurisdiction of a municipality. (c) An order under Subsection (b) must allow a restricted vehicle to use any lane of the highway to pass another vehicle and to enter and exit the highway. (d) Before issuing an order under this section, the commissioners court shall submit to the department a description of the proposed restriction. The commissioners court may not enforce the restrictions unless: (1) the department's executive director or the executive director's designee has approved the restrictions; and (2) the appropriate traffic-control devices are in place. (e) Department approval under Subsection (d) must to the greatest extent practicable ensure a systems approach to preclude the designation of inconsistent lane restrictions among adjacent counties or municipalities. (f) The department's executive director or the executive director's designee may suspend or rescind approval under this section for one or more of the following reasons: (1) a change in pavement conditions; (2) a change in traffic conditions; (3) a geometric change in roadway configuration; (4) construction or maintenance activity; or (5) emergency or incident management. (g) The department shall erect and maintain official traffic-control devices necessary to implement and enforce an order issued and approved under this section. Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 846, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.