Hunterdon County Commissioners reaffirm opposition to heavier trucks on our nation’s roadways
“Call Upon Senators Booker, Menendez, and Representative Kean To Oppose”
HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ – The Hunterdon County Commissioners recently approved sending a letter reaffirming opposition to H.R. 3372 and H.R. 2948, that were introduced in the House of Representatives for states that would allow for heavier trucks to be placed on our nation’s roadways.
Commissioners were concerned to learn that the House of Transportation and Infrastructure committee voted both the H.R. 3372 and H.R. 2948 bills out of committee, and promptly wrote letters to their federal elected representatives to oppose this legislation.
Commissioner Shaun C. Van Doren, who serves as the liaison to the Department of Public Works shared on behalf of the entire Board, “These bills as drafted will force New Jersey and localities into allowing tractor-trailers of 91,000 pounds on their roads due to the multi-state “pilot project”, a nearly 14% increase over the current large rigs operating at approximately 80,000 pounds in weight. Hunterdon County is home to numerous small and historic bridges that currently cannot handle existing heavy trucks on their roadways and existing truck traffic already presents numerous challenges to the county’s 26 municipalities numerous small and historic downtowns.”
Hunterdon County is located in the heart of New Jersey, bisected by Interstate 78, which carries heavy truck traffic east to west from Interstate 81 towards Easton and Allentown, as well as U.S. Highway 202, a major north south route to Pennsylvania.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, 74% of the bridges in New Jersey are currently rated in “fair” or “poor” condition. This number could certainly rise, should heavier trucks be allowed across the state. Since Congress last raised truck rates weights, the number of trucks registered in the U.S. and the miles they drive have increased by 91%. Damage to roads and bridges would become a taxpayer issue, and the cost and repair would fall squarely on citizens.
Commissioner Van Doren said, “For this Board and our county residents, the concerns of the pilot project are not only about traffic, but also safety – as many of our residents are commuters and would have to contend with heavier trucks that are harder to control and more likely to flip over in the event of an accident.”
A copy of the approved resolution opposing H.R. 3372 was sent to U.S. Representative Tom Kean Jr., and U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, as well as to all 26 Hunterdon County municipalities.
