The director of transportation may upon formal application being made to the director, grant a permit to any individual, firm, or corporation to use or occupy such portion of a road or highway on the state highway system as will not incommode the traveling public. Such permits, when granted, shall be upon the following conditions:
Except as otherwise provided in this section and section 5501.311 of the Revised Code, Chapters 5501., 5503., 5511., 5513., 5515., 5516., 5517., 5519., 5521., 5523., 5525., 5527., 5528., 5529., 5531., 5533., and 5535. of the Revised Code do not prohibit telephone and electric light and power companies from constructing, maintaining, and using telephone or electric light and power lines along and upon such roads or highways under section 4933.14 or other sections of the Revised Code, or to affect existing rights of any such companies, or to require such companies to obtain a permit from the director, except with respect to the location of poles, wires, conduits, and other equipment comprising lines on or beneath the surface of such road or highways.
This section does not prohibit steam or electric railroad companies from constructing tracks across such roads or highways, nor authorize the director to grant permission to any company owning, operating, controlling, or managing a steam railroad or interurban railway in this state to build a new line of railroad, or to change or alter the location of existing tracks across any road or highway on the state highway system at grade. No such company shall change the elevation of any of its tracks across such road or highway except in accordance with plans and specifications first approved by the director.
This section does not relieve any individual, firm, or corporation from the obligation of satisfying any claim or demand of an owner of lands abutting on such road or highway on the state highway system on account of placing in such road or highway a burden in addition to public travel.
R.C. § 5515.01