Vermont Approves Legislation to Test Heavy Trucks

A provision allowing heavier trucks to operate on Vermont highways was signed into law by Governor Jim Douglas Wednesday

, according to Today's Trucking.

Under a one-year pilot program, truck drivers will be able to operate trucks weighing up to 100,000 pounds on interstate roads and bridges in Vermont, rather than just local roads. The current Vermont limit for truck weights is 80,000 pounds gross weight.

Vermont signed it into law after Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) added Vermont to a provision that's part of the FY2010 Transportation Appropriations bill. The provision, which includes Maine, eases weight limits for truck drivers in both states.

The bill requires Vermont to submit a report to Congress evaluating the effects of the pilot program on highway safety, bridge and road durability, commerce, truck volumes, and energy use.

However, safety advocates have been fighting the weight measure, saying that larger rigs damage interstate highways and threaten safety. The Truck Safety Coalition believes the legislation will further deteriorate Vermont's interstate highways and bridges by adding the extra weight.