Big Rigs To Take Big Loads Down The Big Road, possibly

7/30/09

Truck weight limits on I-95 may increase

Pilot project still must clear Senate
By Eric Russell
BDN Staff
Sen. Susan Collins

At the urging of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday preliminarily approved a one-year pilot project that would exempt Maine highways from the federal truck-weight limit.

“I am delighted that my colleagues recognize that the weight limit disparity on various segments of Maine’s interstate highway system is a significant impediment to commerce, increases wear-and-tear on our secondary roads, and, most important, puts our residents needlessly at risk,” Collins said. “A pilot project keeping these heavy trucks on the interstates, which are designed to carry more weight than the rural roads, would permit an assessment of the impact of safety, commerce, and road wear and tear.”

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