“Brian Keierleber, county engineer of Buchanan County and past president of the National Association of County Engineers is in Washington this week. He strongly opposes any increases to truck length or weight. Keierleber plans to meet Tuesday with members of the Iowa congressional delegation, including his Rep. Abby Finkenauer, and Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst. “Iowa has the unfortunate distinction of having the highest number of bridges rated as poor by the Federal Highway Administration in the nation,” said…
Press and Guide (MI): Wayne County commissioners oppose efforts to increase truck weights on county roadways
“Federal Highway Administration data shows there are 78 structurally deficient bridges within Wayne County. In addition, only 16 percent of the roads in Wayne County are considered to be in “good condition” according to recent data from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. The resolution urges action by the Michigan Legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to propose and enact legislation that would enforce strict weight limits to protect the integrity of the state’s infrastructure.” Read more+…
Arab American News (MI): Wayne County commissioners oppose plans to increase truck weights on Michigan roadways
“We know here in Michigan what this does to our roads, and what it has done to our roads,” Chair Alisha Bell, D-Detroit said. “Safety for all drivers and our infrastructure should not be compromised and this body will not approve any legislation that calls for an increase in weight or length of trucks.” The resolution states that any increases beyond the current capacity of county infrastructure would cause excessive damage to roads and bridges and increase safety risks for…
Utica (N.Y.) Observer-Dispatch Editorial: Bigger trucks would threaten infrastructure
How many warnings will we need before we get serious about fixing the bridges in New York state? Hopefully it won’t take a disaster like the 1987 Thruway bridge collapse to wake us up. The latest shot across the bow comes from the Federal Highway Administration which has ranked New York state eighth in the nation in terms of bridges that are rated in poor condition. One reaction to that came from the Suffolk County Legislature that recently showed its…
The Intelligencer (Wheeling, W.Va.) Editorial: Maintain Bridges, Highways in W. Va.
WHEELING – State officials are right in explaining that when a highway bridge is rated as substandard, it does not necessarily mean it is unsafe. Of West Virginia Division of Highways inspectors believe a span is dangerous, they shut it down. Often reports that large numbers of bridges are not adequate mean only that they cannot carry the bigger, heavier trucks that are more common today. +Read more…
NBC 7 News (KWWL-TV/Waterloo, Iowa): Buchanan County looking for ways to address aging bridges
BUCHANAN COUNTY, Iowa – Iowa ranks as having the worst bridges in the country by the Federal Highway Administration. County engineers across the state are trying to find a solution to fix an aging network of roads. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reports 4,670 of the state’s 24,090 bridges are in “poor” condition and nearly half rank as just “fair.” Brian Keierleber, Buchanan County Engineer, said as trucks hauling cargo get heavier and heavier, the situation will only continue to…
CBS 7 News (WTRF-TV/Wheeling, W.Va.): West Virginia Bridges in Poor Condition
WHEELING – According to the most recent data published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), West Virginia ranks second in the nation in highest percentage of bridges in poor condition. 1,444 bridges across the state are in poor condition, which is about one of every five bridges or 20 percent of all bridges. This is a big reason why West Virginia local officials joined over 1,000 local government workers across the country in delivering a letter to Capitol Hill that…
West Virginia Public Broadcasting: Advocates at Odds Over Increasing Truck Sizes, as Data Show 20 Percent of W.Va. Bridges ‘Poor’
CHARLESTON – More than 1,400 bridges across West Virginia are in “poor” condition, according to the Federal Highway Administration. According to a new report by the agency, 1,444 bridges in the state, or nearly 20 percent, are in disrepair, the second highest rate in the country. Some advocacy groups are voicing concerns that the state’s infrastructure problems could worsen if a federal proposal to allow larger cargo trucks to hit the road is approved. Advocacy groups are dueling over a…
The Gazette (IA): Bigger trucks will cause bigger problem for Iowa’s ailing bridges, state and local officials tell Congress
“Iowa already allows some heavy trucks, which is readily apparent when driving on some of these roads,” Brian Keierleber, Buchanan County engineer and past president of the National Association of County Engineers, said in the release. “Even in light of these devastating statistics, special interests continue to push to expand overweight trucks across our state and nation.” Read more+…
13 WOWK (WV): West Virginia bridges in poor condition
“1,444 bridges across the state are in poor condition, which is about one of every five bridges or 20 percent of all bridges. This is a big reason why West Virginia local officials joined over 1,000 local government workers across the country in delivering a letter to Capitol Hill that asks policymakers to oppose any truck size or weight increases. You can read the letter here The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) did a study in 2016 which found that thousands…