New Jersey's ever-expanding ban on big trucks has grown once again. But this time, the impact on interstate truckers will be minimal.

Gov. Christie Whitman has issued an executive order banning all large commercial trucks from New Jersey Route 29 from its intersection with Interstate 95 north to its end in Frenchtown. In the affected section, Route 29 is a two-lane road that winds along the shore of the Delaware River through the central part of New Jersey.
Most interstate truck traffic was diverted from the road under the earlier, broader ban on 102-inch-wide trucks – the kind typically used by most major carriers. Also, trucks serving businesses within 3 miles of Route 29 are exempted. That includes a large commercial quarry.
According to New Jersey Department of Transportation spokesman John Dourgarian, a large landfill on the Pennsylvania side of the river is not exempted. Dourgarian told Truckinginfo.com the ban is in effect, but that it cannot be enforced until signs are in place. That would take seven to 10 days, he said.
Citing the characteristics of Route 29, New Jersey Motor Truck Association President Sam Cunninghame told the Trenton Times that his association would not oppose the new ban. But he warned that position would change if the ban was extended to include parallel north-south highways, Routes 31 and 206.
According to the governor’s office, penalties for violators include a $77 fine and 2 points on a driver's motor vehicle record. The executive order outlining the ban can be found on Gov. Whitman’s web site at http://www.state.nj.us/governor/news/releases.html.