Logging truck at Resch Expo, April 10, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — New legislature was rolled out Monday that would allow logging trucks to drive on the interstate.
The trucks currently can only use state and local roads to travel.
“Which forces them to use state and local roads to reach their destinations where you encounter roundabouts, you encounter school zones, cross walks, intersections, sharp turns,” says U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-8th District.
Gallagher introduced a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by a Democrat Representative out of Maine, Jared Golden.
It is called the Safe Routes Act.
“It would allow logging trucks that meet state specific requirements to use the federal interstate for up to 150 air miles,” says Gallagher.
Logging truck drivers like Justin Babik, say this proposal would make his job easier and safer.
“It would keep us out of the inner cities, you’re going through school zones, lot of traffic, turning corners, always stopping and going, if you could just stay on the highway and keep going it’s safer for everyone,” says Babik.
Babik says he has never been in an crash but often has close calls.
“We had one today a car actually came into my lane and turn across in front of me, and I had one cut me off too coming through today just for this demonstration,” says Babik.
Gallagher has proposed similar legislature in previous years.
He says this time around there is more bipartisan support and new findings.
“We’ve worked really hard with our state patrol, we’ve done break testing, we’ve done load securement testing we have all the results to prove everything that we are doing,” says Executive Director for Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, Henry Schienebeck.
Gallagher also says this would impact our state specifically.
A study done by The University of Minnesota showed how the route would look different from Portage county to Endeavor.
“This would be 19 minutes faster, it would use nearly two gallons less of diesel fuel, it would involve traveling through only one town and no school zones, and it would require traveling through 99 less intersections,” says Gallagher.
The bill will first have to pass through the transportation and infrastructure committee, then move to the House, followed by the Senate.
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