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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Heavy-trucks debate: ‘It scares me to death’

Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, grilled Idaho Commerce Director Jeff Sayer and Idaho Transportation Department official Alan Frew about whether either agency would spend more state money to review and analyze possible new routes for extra-heavy trucks, should SB 1117 pass. Both said no. “We know our roads, we know our bridges,” Frew told the Senate Transportation Committee.

Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, asked how ITD could “take care of highway districts and counties and cities and their routes that might be suggested for heavier trucks as well.” Frew responded, “We would do this in conjunction with the local jurisdictions having authority over those highways. We anticipate that those jurisdictions know their highways, know their bridges. … We don’t anticipate having additional costs, personnel costs, or costs for analysis to complete this.”

Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb, D-Boise, said, “I just think about riding up a narrow road right up next-side to one of them big trucks, and it scares me to death. ... Inclement weather, stopping distances… I get concerned about some safety issues. And I will say that I’ve had a number of emails and letters from folks saying they’re worried about stopping distances, the number of brakes on them and all that kind of thing. Can you help me feel a little bit more comfortable about this?”

Frew responded, “We don’t allow their operation on narrow, winding roads, because they have a tendency to cross the center line or cross the fog line.”



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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