No thru trucks, supervisors plan to draw up road ordinance
Published 11:35 am Thursday, May 18, 2023
- Bridges like this one in the county have posted weight limit but Supervisors voiced concern this week some drivers are not following those limits. (File Photo)
BROOKHAVEN — Arlington Road is seeing an increase in semi-truck traffic and Lincoln County Supervisor Eddie Brown wants it to stop. He asked the board if they could designate the road as a no-thru truck road during Monday’s regularly scheduled Board of Supervisors meeting.
His concern is Jackson Liberty and Auburn Drive are all torn up from truck traffic and Arlington might be next if the board does not act soon. Lincoln County sheriff Steve Rushing said he has no problem enforcing weight limits on roads but needs an ordinance to back up enforcement.
“We don’t have enough state aid to go around fixing every road,” Brown said. “We have to save this road from loaded trucks. They can drive on Jackson Liberty and Bogue Chitto.”
An ordinance would help Rushing enforce weight limits but so would a designated county road patrol officer. Warren and Copiah Counties currently have a road patrol officer who carries scales to weigh trucks in order to enforce weight limits on county roadways. Lincoln County does not have any scales right now to enforce a weight limit.
Supervisor Doug Falvey said he has seen semi-truck drivers disregard weight limits and no-thru truck signs before. Rushing asked County Attorney Greg Malta and County Engineer Ryan Holmes to help write an ordinance. The county will have to be consistent in its enforcement, Rushing said. Supervisor Nolan Williamson voiced his support of fighting thru truck traffic on designated roads.
“We aren’t trying to keep trucks from driving in the county. We are just trying to control the route they take. You will never be able to stop logging,” Williamson said. “They could bring in 15 trucks in one day making five trips over the day. It doesn’t take long to tear up the road. It is certainly something we can work on.”