MOVING AMERICA By WM. T. SUNLEY, Illinois Department of Transportation

After seven years of controversy, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on June 1, 1990 published a final rule that will ease state and local access restrictions for truck operations. FHWA's new regulation will permit the larger and heavier trucks authorized in 1982 by Congress to have reasonable access between the Interstate Highway System and other highway facilities for food, fuel, repair and rest, and to and from terminals.

As background, the 1982 Federal Highway Act (Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982) increased the maximum allowable width of trucks from 96 to 102 inches and mandated that the maximum gross vehicle weight be increased to 80,000 pounds on designated highways in accordance with the Federal Bridge Formula (a standard which restricts the weight on a vehicle if the axles are too closely spaced). The maximum gross weight on any one axle was increased to 20,000 pounds and the maximum gross weight on tandem axles was increased to 34,000 pounds.

In responding to the initial federal rule making, in 1983 Illinois revised its maximum weight limits for designated highways from the pre-existing 73,280 pound gross, 18,000 pounds on single axles and 32,000 pounds on tandems and adopted the Federal Bridge Formula.

Designated State Highway Truck Routes

Illinois Statutes currently restrict all vehicles heavier than 73,280 pounds and up to 80,000 pounds gross weight to interstates and other designated highways. On the State Highway System we designate these highways depending upon what can be safely accommodated.

For example, Class I Highways are the interstates and other four-lane, divided highways that are fully access controlled. Class II Highways are typically those two-lane routes with at least 11-foot lanes and no history of abnormal accidents.

Both of these Classes (I and II) can legally carry 80,000 pound maximum gross weight (20,000 pounds on a single axle and 34,000 pounds on a tandem) and the wider 102-inch vehicle.

Class III Highways are typically two-lane highways. This class can also carry the 80,000 pound load but the width of vehicle is restricted to a maximum of 8-feet, the same as allowed off the designated truck route system.

Any large vehicle operating on the designated highway truck route system is allowed access to points of loading and unloading and to facilities for food, fuel, repair and rest for a distance of 5 highway miles on the State Highway System and only on those highways designated by local agency highway authorities. A large

September 1990 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 11

vehicle in this context is the 102 wide and 80,000 pound vehicle.

The non-uniformity among States and unavailability of local roads for access to terminals and services has caused the trucking industry to lobby Congress to provide a Statutory definition of access that all States must follow. Industry would like a distance provision that excludes few if any roads. While many local units of government would resist this action because much of their systems are not structurally or geometrically built to adequately accommodate the larger and heavier trucks.

Having heard the positions of state and local governments and the trucking industry, together with benefit of recommendations from a congressionally mandated study by the Transportation Research Board (Truck Weight Limits — TRB Special Report 225), the FHWA issued its June 1, 1990 Final Rule, Truck Size and Weight; Reasonable Access. Significant portions of this rule are many and tightly defined:

1. No State may enact or enforce any law denying access within one road-mile from the National Network (our Class I highways) using the most reasonable and practicable route available except for specific safety reasons on individual routes.

2. Approval of access for specific vehicles on any individual route applies to all vehicles of the same type regardless of ownership. Distinctions between vehicle types shall be based only on significant, substantial differences in their operating characteristics.

3. States shall have an access review process that provides for the review of requests for access from the National Network beyond the 1-mile limit. The State access review process shall provide for the denial of access to terminals and services only on the basis of safety, engineering analysis, or deficient lane widths.

4. States shall ensure compliance with the requirements of this section for roads under the jurisdiction of local units of government.

By December 1, 1990, Illinois is required to submit the provisions of its access review process to FHWA for approval. The access provisions are required to be approved and operational by June 1, 1991.

The final rule requires that states follow the Federal criteria if they do not have FHWA approval provisions within 12 months. Impacts of the final rule are not clear at this time. It appears the 5-mile rule in use presently on state highways is no longer acceptable.

The Bureau of Traffic will be the lead agency within Illinois DOT for formulating the Access Review Policy and for initiating the necessary legislative changes. Chuck Smith, Chief of Traffic's Permits Section will be working with other IDOT personnel and local agency representatives through the Illinois Municipal League — Public Works Committee, the Illinois Association of County Superintendents of Highways — Policy Committee and the Township Officials of Illinois — Highway Commissioners Division to put together an effective Access Review Policy. The initial meeting was held in early September. •

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