No person unless authorized by the commission shall erect or maintain on any railroad track or railroad right of way any:

1.    Fixed or permanent structure or obstruction at a distance of less than eight feet [2.44 meters] from a railroad track, measured from the centerline of the track.

2.    Bridges, viaducts, or any other obstructions passing over and above a railroad track at a height less than twenty-one feet [6.40 meters], measured from the top of the track rail. The commission, upon application and after a thorough investigation, may permit any person to which this section applies to erect or reconstruct and maintain any such facility at a lesser clearance than herein provided for when in the judgment of the commission the compliance with the clearance prescribed herein would be unreasonable or unnecessary and when a lesser clearance than that hereinbefore provided for would not create a condition unduly hazardous to the employees of such    railroad or any other person. Station freight house platforms which have a vertical height of not more than four feet [1.22 meters], measured from the top of the track rail, may be erected and maintained at a less distance from the center of the track which they adjoin than herein specified.