(a) No person shall transport any explosive substance, flammable liquid, liquefied petroleum gas or poisonous gas in a tank truck, trailer, or semitrailer through the Caldecott Tunnel located on State Highway, Route 24, near the Alameda-Contra Costa County boundary, connecting Oakland with Contra Costa County in the East Bay area at any time other than between the hours of 3 a.m. to 5 a.m.

(b) The Department of Transportation may, in compliance with the requirements of Article 1 (commencing with Section 22400) of Division 11, determine and declare a reduced speed limit, lower than the maximum speed of 55 miles per hour, found most appropriate for traffic safety between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Terms Used In California Vehicle Code 31301

  • County: includes every county and city and county within this State. See California Vehicle Code 270
  • Department: means the Department of Motor Vehicles except, when used in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 2100) of Division 2 and in Divisions 11 (commencing with Section 21000), 12 (commencing with Section 24000), 13 (commencing with Section 29000), 14 (commencing with Section 31600), 14. See California Vehicle Code 290
  • Highway: is a way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. See California Vehicle Code 360
  • Liquefied petroleum gas: means normal butane, isobutane, propane, or butylene (including isomers) or mixtures composed predominantly thereof in liquid or gaseous state having a vapor pressure in excess of 40 pounds per square inch absolute at a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. See California Vehicle Code 380
  • Person: includes a natural person, firm, copartnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation. See California Vehicle Code 470
  • semitrailer: is a vehicle designed for carrying persons or property, used in conjunction with a motor vehicle, and so constructed that some part of its weight and that of its load rests upon, or is carried by, another vehicle. See California Vehicle Code 550
  • traffic: includes pedestrians, ridden animals, vehicles, street cars, and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using any highway for purposes of travel. See California Vehicle Code 620
  • trailer: includes a semitrailer when used in conjunction with an auxiliary dolly, if the auxiliary dolly is of a type constructed to replace the function of the drawbar and the front axle or axles of a trailer. See California Vehicle Code 630

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as a limitation or restriction on the power of the Department of Transportation, conferred by any other provision of law, to adopt regulations with regard to the movement of vehicles, including, but not limited to, tank truck vehicles transporting any cargo specified under subdivision (a) through the Caldecott Tunnel.

If, pursuant to any such other law, the Department of Transportation adopts or amends regulations after the effective date of this section, which adopted or amended regulations govern the movement of vehicles subject to subdivision (a), then on the operative date of those regulations, this section shall no longer be operative.

(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1140, Sec. 1. Effective September 20, 1982. Conditionally inoperative as provided in subd. (c).)