SALISBURY, Md.- Wicomico County Council sent a letter of opposition to Senator Ben Cardin, voicing concern over a bill to increase the maximum weight limit for tractor trailers from 80,000 pounds to 91,000 pounds.
Wicomico Council Vice President Jeff Merritt spearheaded the letter in Wicomico County.
"I think the big impact would be the condition of the roads and what they would do because a lot of the farms are on back roads and those are not constructed as well to carry heavy vehicles," said Merritt. "We need to be thoughtful on something like this. What we do here is going to affect down the road and around the corner where we may not be looking."
Merritt says he hopes state leaders think about the long term effect of this change.
"What we do here is going to affect down the road and around the corner where we might not be looking so I encourage getting input from all of the industry experts," said Merritt.
Merritt also raised concern over state funding for roads that he says is not adequate.
"The transportation trust fund on the state level is definitely not where we need it to be and there is no plan to replenish it so without that how are we going to fix our roads? Where is that money going to come from?," said Merritt.
In October, the Worcester County Council sent a similar letter. Council President Chip Bertino says it can be a challenge to fix the roads, without the heavier trucks.
"We are having a difficult time as it is getting state funding to improve our roads and having added weight with additional vehicles will only add to the deterioration of our roads more quickly," said Bertino.
The Worcester County Sheriff Office also sent a letter, citing more severe accidents on the road with heavier trucks.
