As president of the Kansas County Highway Association, I am concerned by continued efforts in the nation’s capital that would make Kansas highways more dangerous for motorists while damaging infrastructure, especially bridges.
Special interest groups in Washington, D.C. are seeking to increase semi-truck size and maximum weights on our nation’s highways. They are floating various proposals that would raise the limit on truck weights from 80,000 pounds to 91,000 pounds and beyond.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, 47.5% of bridges statewide are already in poor to fair condition. The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT) conducted a recent study evaluating the number of local bridges that would be put at risk by 91,000-pound trucks as proposed in Congress.
CABT concluded that more than 5,814 bridges throughout Kansas would be put at risk by 91,000-pound trucks, which would cost the state and local governments almost $3 billion to replace. Local governments would ultimately be responsible for the bulk of those added costs. While we are supportive of the trucking industry, Kansas counties, municipalities and its taxpayers should not be held responsible for the damage bigger and heavier trucks will do to our infrastructure.
According to TRIP, a private, nonprofit organization that researches, evaluates and distributes economic and technical data on surface transportation issues, driving on deteriorated roads costs Kansas motorists $621 million a year ($303 per driver) in the form of additional repairs, accelerated vehicle depreciation and increased fuel consumption and tire wear.
With a total of 13% of Kansas major roads already in poor or mediocre condition, it is important that these roads receive the necessary maintenance and upgrades needed today to ensure our roadways are in the best possible condition for our motorists tomorrow. Legislation increasing truck size and weight would not only make driving conditions on our roadways worse – it would also deteriorate our roads faster.
Another concern when it comes to increasing semi-truck size and weights is motorist safety. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, from 2013-2023, the year with the most recently available data, truck crash fatalities rose by 31% in Kansas. Given that these statistics are based on current allowed truck size and weight, policymakers should prioritize reducing these numbers before considering legislation that would increase truck size and weight.
Although proponents argue the legislation under consideration in Congress will only apply to interstates, we all recognize that no truck trip begins or ends on an interstate. In fact, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), 44% of truck traffic takes place off the interstates.
The proposals in Congress to raise truck weights will do nothing to take heavier trucks off local roads. All the existing trucks that operate at 80,000 pounds in order to use the interstate would increase in weight. The end result is more heavier trucks on all roads.
Kansas County Highway Association members are dedicated to maintaining our county roadways and bridges in order to keep our fellow Kansans safe. Kansas counties own and maintain 109,000 miles of roadways, which is 82% of all the roads in Kansas. In addition, Kansas counties own and maintain 19,650 bridges, 77% of all the bridges in the state.
Given this important mission, we must have the assistance of our delegation lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to help us stop legislation that would jeopardize our efforts and place a greater financial burden on our members, local governments and taxpayers.
Brendan Mackay is president of the Kansas County Highway Association, which is comprised of Kansas county road superintendents and county engineers throughout the state. A total of 100 of the 105 Kansas Counties are KCHA members.
