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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

ITD: Curves in road ‘not necessarily’ a reason to slow down

Through a series of detailed questions about specific points along the route and how the ConocoPhillips megaloads will negotiate them, attorneys for the opponents appear to be suggesting that ITD has underestimated how long the loads will hold up traffic at each of those points. Plus, ITD's testimony during the hearing yesterday that the loads actually will travel faster than it earlier said - more than 25 mph top speed and more than 15 mph average - has been called into question today, particularly at points along the route with bridges, sharp curves, rock walls along the road and the like, also suggesting longer traffic delays.

ITD District 2 maintenance engineer Doral Hoff was asked this morning, "How fast can these loads go?" He responded, "Since the beginning they've told me that they can average easily 20 to 30 mph and actually go faster than that. ... What I've been told is that they can maneuver through these at an average speed 20 to 30 mph throughout the route." Asked if a vehicle should generally slow down to go around a curve, Hoff said, "Not necessarily."



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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