SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 66

(By Senators Carmichael (President), Takubo, and Tarr)

[Introduced March 7, 2020]

Urging Congress to allow the United States Department of Transportation to enter into a transportation pilot study with the states of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana to analyze weight capacity of vehicles traveling on interstate highways with multi-axle, divisible loads.

Whereas, Weight distribution technology on divisible loads has advanced to provide an over 80,000 pound maximum gross vehicle can apply same weight application as an 80,000 maximum gross weight vehicle weight limit on the roads; and

Whereas, Federal law currently imposes a maximum gross vehicle weight of 80,000 pounds on interstate highways, without any tolerance, and with axle weight restrictions and the bridge formula often reducing such maximum weight; and

Whereas, Vehicles transporting commodities through West Virginia often reach our state on interstate highways but leave the interstate highways system and switch to West Virginia’s local roads, taking advantage of the higher weight limit on such routes; and

Whereas, Such practice increases traffic on West Virginia’s mountainous country roads, raises safety concerns, and limits economic avenues; and

Whereas, Interstates could safely support the same weight restrictions as those on U.S. routes in West Virginia given that the design standards used for both systems are identical and the weight increase would be minimal; and

Whereas, The West Virginia Department of Transportation, Division of Highways, is poised to address any questions Congress or the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, may have to demonstrate the feasibility of this request; and

Whereas, Providing an exception to the existing weight limits and restrictions in Title 23 of the United States Code, including the bridge formula, for vehicles operating on interstate highways in West Virginia will allow more vehicles to travel the safer interstate highways and expand economic access throughout West Virginia; and

Whereas, Congress has previously provided exceptions to the maximum gross vehicle weight on interstate highways for several states of the United States; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That Congress is urged to allow the United States Department of Transportation to enter into a transportation pilot study with the states of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana to analyze weight capacity of vehicles traveling on interstate highways with multi-axle, divisible loads; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the President and Secretary of the United States Senate, to the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and to the members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation.