“Counties are already overburdened with the responsibility of maintaining America’s bridges. Despite owning 36% of all bridges nationwide, counties oversee 51% of the bridges rated in poor condition. This overrepresentation underscores a critical point: Counties have struggled for years with underfunding from the federal government and growing maintenance backlogs. Now, with the potential of heavier trucks on the horizon, those challenges could quickly become insurmountable.
The data makes one thing clear: Heavier trucks would disproportionately harm county-owned infrastructure. As bridges deteriorate under the strain of increasing truck weights, local officials would be forced to make difficult choices — whether to raise taxes, cut services or simply close failing bridges.”