A study by the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks has a warning for Congress…don’t approve legislation to increase the maximum truck weight or length limits on federal highways.
It says such a move would create more bridge dangers in Oklahoma and virtually every other state in the country. In a letter to members of Congress, the Coalition stated any increase in weight limits on big trucks would create significant infrastructure damage.
“The U.S. Department of Transportation studied the impact of various longer and heavier truck configurations on interstates and U.S. highways and found that the additional cost of damage to both roads and bridges would require billions of dollars in new federal spending, adding even more to our budget deficit,” stated the Coalition in its letter.
“As the 119th Congress begins work on surface transportation reauthorization, we urge you to oppose any legislation that would increase maximum truck weight or length limits on federal highways.”
The Coalition also argued that such an increase would put 65,000 and 82,000 local bridges across the country at risk if Congress were to allow trucks heavier than 80,000 pounds when it reauthorizes the federal surface transportation bill.
The Coalition had similar statistics on 2023 when it said any increase to 88,000 pound trucks would put 2,854 bridges in Oklahoma at risk and the replacement costs would total $1,017,901, 368.
A move to 91,000 pound trucks would damage 2,961 Oklahoma bridges and their replacement cost would total $1,130,386,195. If 97,000 pound trucks were approved, 3,482 bridges in Oklahoma would be damaged and their replacement cost would be $1,443,786,279.