It is unlawful for any person or persons, firm, corporation or bridge or water district, having the right of opening or making excavations within the driveways of public highways in the municipality, to leave open at any time any trench or excavation of a greater length than 200 feet, except by permission of the officer granting such permit. Such person or persons, firm, corporation or bridge or water district shall fully and completely fill up such a trench to the surface of the roadway before making any further trench or excavation. The filling must be puddled or rammed as the nature of the soil may require and must be done and completed within the time designated in the permit for completing the trench or excavation. Any person or persons, firm, corporation or bridge or water district failing to comply with the requirements or infringing on the prohibitions of this section may be punished by a fine of $50 for each offense. These requirements, prohibitions and penalties may not apply to excavations in grading, building or repairing any of the public highways under the supervision of the municipal authorities. Such person or persons, firm, corporation or bridge or water district shall protect the paving on either side of the opening by the use of sheet piling or such other means as will prevent the escape of sand from underneath it. In determining the number of square yards of paving disturbed, there must be included such area of paving adjoining the trench actually opened as will, in the opinion of the road commissioner, the commissioner of public works or such officer as the municipal officers may appoint in the absence of a commissioner, be required to be taken up and relaid by reason of such failure to properly protect the same. [PL 1999, c. 337, §6 (AMD).]