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A letter to members of Congress expressing significant infrastructure concerns associated with proposals to increase semi-truck size and weight.…

“I am quite confident a similar study conducted today would have similar conclusions knowing highway congestion has grown over the past three years and our bridges and highways haven’t gotten any younger.  According to the Federal Highway Administration there are 20,177 bridges in Tennessee and 10,955 (or 54 percent) are in fair-to-poor condition.  Need I ask the question whether-or-not heavier tractor-trailer rigs will further negatively impact these aging structures and unnecessarily risk the lives of all of us using them…

“Dakota County is dealing with estimates of a nearly $600 million shortfall over the next 20 years in terms of transportation funding. Coming up with the necessary funds to maintain our infrastructure under existing conditions poses a difficult challenge that will demand efficient use of limited resources. The additional damage, and costs, caused by bigger trucks would be forced upon county taxpayers. We value the industries that make Dakota County prosperous and seek to maintain the delicate balance between growth…

“Heavier trucks would also mean that we would be mingling passenger cars with commercial vehicles that have been proven to have crash rates anywhere from 47% to a shocking 400% higher than current weights, according to a 2015 study by the U.S. Department of Transportation. This legislation would bring that heightened risk to every state in the union, including Kansas. The study found a number of other issues with the proposed Twin 33s, but one data point that sticks out…

Oakridge Police Chief Kevin Martin traveled on behalf of a group called the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks. The organization is concerned that an upcoming transportation bill in Congress will include a provision to allow longer and heavier trucks on the nation’s highways. Martin said it’s a recipe for disaster. “I’m not an engineer, but if you add weight and length but you don’t upgrade the brakes and engine and transmission and that kind of stuff, then it’s an accident waiting to…

“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…

“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+…

“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…

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…

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…