A bill that would allow states to authorize an increase in their weight limits on Interstate highways was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives Monday.

The "Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2009" (H.R. 1799) was co-sponsored by Reps. Michael Michaud (D-Maine) and Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio).

The bill will allow states to increase the weight of trucks allowed on the Interstate System within state borders to make them consistent with surrounding states. Michaud says the current patchwork of differing weight requirements harms safety by forcing trucks onto roads not designed for their use and hurts the economy by reducing the efficiency of freight networks.

"This bill represents a step forward in my work with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to provide an acceptable resolution to the truck weight problems throughout our country, especially in Maine," said Michaud. "Thoughtful implementation of a federal truck weight exemption for the remainder of Maine's Interstate, and changes like it in other states, would help our struggling economy. It would allow our industries in Maine to be more competitive and save on fuel. It would also help reduce pollution by making sure we are getting the most out of every truck mile travelled. And most importantly, it would promote safety for Mainers by making sure more heavily loaded trucks aren't forced to take secondary roads through town centers in their travels up and down our state."

Currently, most of Maine's Interstate highways are subject to the federally mandated truck weight limit of 80,000 pounds. However, Maine's state limit is 100,000 pounds - and it would be difficult to lower it due to the demands of Maine's major industries, especially forest products, and the through traffic from the surrounding states and Canadian provinces which all have 100,000 pound limits on all of their roads. Gov. Baldacci, the Maine Legislature, the Maine Department of Transportation, the entire Maine congressional delegation, and hundreds of Maine small businesses have requested an exemption from federal truck weight limits.

"In working on this issue for years, I have come to realize that Maine is not the only state affected by truck weight mismatches," said Michaud. "In order to move forward on this issue, I have made this a national bill that would allow affected states like Maine to opt into an increase in truck weights in their states. States that do not want increased weights would not have to have anything forced on them. I recognize that what makes sense for Maine may not make sense for other places."

A comprehensive Maine Department of Transportation study has shown that the state of Maine would save between $1.7 and $2.3 million a year in reduced pavement repair. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there would be a 20-year pavement restoration cost savings of nearly $2.5 billion dollars utilizing the 97,000-pound six-axle truck.