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Safe, modern roads are vital to Maine’s economic
development and our citizens’ quality of life. Goods
and people must be able to move freely if Mainers
are to reap the full benefits of their hard work and
entrepreneurial spirit. One of the greatest safety
concerns on our roads today is the overuse of state
and local roads by heavy trucks forced off the
interstate highways due to unfair interstate weight
limits. In addition to safety concerns, diverting
heavy trucks to local roads unnecessarily increases
wear and tear, forcing local governments to pick up
the tab.
There is broad agreement in Maine that these
weight limits should be changed from the federal
limit of 80,000 pounds to the Maine limit of 100,000
pounds. The Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT)
has been studying the potential safety and economic
impacts of waiving the federal weight limits
throughout the state. MDOT estimates that waiving
federal weight limits would result in three fewer
truck crashes in Maine every year. In addition to
the safety benefits, waiving weight limits would
save MDOT between $1 million and $1.65 million every
year on pavement costs, and approximately $300,000
per year on bridge rehabilitation costs. The overall
economic benefit to Maine and its citizens would be
between $1.6 million and $2.3 million annually.
The problem with interstate weight limits is so
pressing that it transcends national borders.
Earlier this year, four Canadian transportation
ministers sent a letter urging Congress to act on
the issue of vehicle weight limits on Maine’s
interstate highway system. Trade with our Canadian
neighbors is critical to Maine’s economy, and we
must strive to harmonize transportation standards as
much as possible between our two countries.
I have been working to address this issue for
many years. During the 105th Congress, I
authored a provision of the 1998 highway law, known
as "TEA-21" providing a waiver from federal weight
limits on I-95 from the New Hampshire border to the
northern end of the Maine Turnpike in Augusta. In
April, I successfully pressed the Federal Highway
Administration to re-designate a three-mile section
of I-95 near Augusta as an extension of the Maine
Turnpike, which allowed heavier trucks to travel
another three miles north on I-95 and then access
the new bypass route north of Augusta. With the
support of the Maine delegation, I introduced a bill
in March of last year that would solve the problem
entirely. The measure would direct the Secretary of
Transportation to establish a 3-year pilot program
to improve commercial vehicle safety in the State of
Maine by waiving federal vehicle weight limitations
on the Interstate System, and permit Maine to set
its own limits to more closely reflect standards in
the region.
For me, at the heart of the issue is a simple
proposition: do we want heavy trucks on the highway
or on local roads running right through the heart of
our communities? Changing this unfair standard is my
number one transportation priority, and this coming
year offers an excellent opportunity to make
additional progress. Because Congress did not pass
the six-year highway reauthorization bill this year,
it must take up the measure again in the 109th
Congress. I will work in concert with Senator
Collins and Representatives Michaud and Allen to
ensure that Maine gets a provision allowing it to
set its own weight limits in the upcoming highway
bill.
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