Section 170IAC4-3-8. Location of lines

   Co-ordinated Locations for Lines. Utilization of the highways is essential to the economical and efficient extension, operation and maintenance of supply and signal facilities. To avoid unduly increasing the number or difficulty of situations of crossings conflicts or inductive exposures incident to the use of the same highway by two different kinds of facilities, all lines, should in general, be located as follows:

(a) General Location. (1) Where the conditions and character of the circuits permit, joint use of poles by signal and supply circuits is generally preferable to separate lines when justified by considerations of safety, economy and convenience, and presuming satisfactory agreement between the parties concerned as to terms and conditions.

(2) Where signal circuits and supply circuits on the same highway are not to occupy joint poles or where either kind of circuit is alone on a highway, all signal circuits should be placed on one side of the highway and all supply circuits should be placed on the other side, so that, as far as practicable, one side of any section of a highway will be available as the signal side and one side as the supply side.

(3) Unnecessary crossings from side to side of the highway should be avoided.

(b) Detailed Location. (1) Local Signal Lines. Where to be located on the same highway with local supply lines, joint use is generally preferable to separate lines, except sometimes in rural districts and except where the character of circuits involved makes separate lines on opposite sides of the highway more desirable.

Where to be located on the same highway with transmission lines, separate lines on opposite sides of the highway are generally preferable unless a large number of service wire crossings would be involved, in which case, joint use or other arrangements may be preferable.

(2) Toll or Through Signal Lines. Where to be located on the same highway with local supply lines or lower voltage transmission supply lines, separate lines on opposite sides of the highway are generally preferable, unless a large number of service wire crossings would be involved, in which case, joint use or other arrangements may be preferable.

Where proposed for location on the same highway or to follow the same general direction with higher voltage transmission supply lines, co-operative consideration should be given to the question of whether such locations should be used, and if so, what specific co-ordinated methods are necessary. Where to be located on the same highway with higher voltage transmission supply lines, separate lines on opposite sides of the highway are preferable.

(3) Local Supply Lines. Where to be located on the same highway with local signal lines, joint use is generally preferable to separate lines except sometimes in rural districts and except where character of circuits involved makes separate lines on opposite sides of the highway more desirable.

Where to be located on the same highway with toll or through signal lines, separate lines on opposite sides of the highway are generally preferable, unless a large number of service wire crossings would be involved, in which case, joint use or other arrangements may be preferable.

(4) Transmission Supply Lines. Where to be located on the same highway with local signal lines or shorter toll or shorter trunk signal lines, separate lines on opposite sides of the highway are generally preferable unless a large number of service wire crossings would be involved, in which case, joint use or other arrangements may be preferable. Where proposed for location on the same highway or to follow the same general direction with longer toll or through signal lines, co-operative consideration should be given to the question of whether such locations should be used and if so, what specific co-ordinated methods are necessary. Where to be located on the same highway with longer toll or through signal lines, separate lines on opposite sides of the highway are preferable.

(5) Avoidance of Overbuilding. Overbuilding of one line by another should be avoided, where practicable. Where necessary for the two kinds of lines to occupy the same side of a highway joint use is generally preferable to overbuilding.

(c) Other Rights of Way. The foregoing principles, although specifically mentioning public highways, should govern situations involving other similar rights of way, where applicable.

(Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission; No. 17689: Safety And Inductive Co-ordination Rule 8; filed Jan 2, 1946, 10:00 am: Rules and Regs. 1947, p. 1635; readopted filed Jul 11, 2001, 4:30 p.m.: 24 IR 4233; readopted filed Apr 24, 2007, 8:21 a.m.: 20070509-IR-170070147RFA; readopted filed Aug 2, 2013, 2:16 p.m.: 20130828-IR-170130227RFA)