[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 3, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petition or memorial was laid before the Senate and was 
referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-27. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     West Virginia urging the United States Congress to pass 
     legislation permitting vehicles traveling on interstate 
     highways in West Virginia to have the same maximum gross 
     vehicle weight and axle configuration as currently 
     permissible for vehicles traveling on United States routes in 
     West Virginia; to the Committee on Environment and Public 
     Works.

                          Senate Resolution 78

       Whereas, Federal law currently imposes a maximum gross 
     vehicle weight of 80,000 pounds on interstate highways, 
     without any tolerance, and with axle weight restrictions and 
     the bridge formula often reducing such maximum weight; and
       Whereas, West Virginia also has an 80,000-pound maximum 
     gross vehicle weight limit, but permits a 10-percent 
     tolerance, raising the permissible maximum weight to 88,000 
     pounds; and
       Whereas, Vehicles transporting commodities through West 
     Virginia often reach our state on interstate highways, but 
     leave the interstate highways system and switch to West 
     Virginia's local roads, taking advantage of the higher weight 
     limit on such routes; and
       Whereas, Such practice increases traffic on West Virginia's 
     mountainous country roads, raises safety concerns, and limits 
     economic avenues; and
       Whereas, Interstates could safely support the same weight 
     restrictions as those on U.S. routes in West Virginia given 
     that the design standards used for both systems are identical 
     and the weight increase would be minimal; and
       Whereas, The West Virginia Department of Transportation, 
     Division of Highways, is poised to address any questions 
     Congress or the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal 
     Highway Administration, may have to demonstrate the 
     feasibility of this request; and
       Whereas, Providing an exception to the existing weight 
     limits and restrictions in Title 23 of the United States 
     Code, including the bridge formula, for vehicles operating on 
     interstate highways in West Virginia will allow more vehicles 
     to travel the safer interstate highways and expand economic 
     access throughout West Virginia; and
       Whereas, Congress has previously provided exceptions to the 
     maximum gross vehicle weight on interstate highways for 
     several states of the United States; therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia: That Congress 
     is urged to allow vehicles traveling on interstate highways 
     in West Virginia to have the same maximum gross vehicle 
     weight and axle configuration as currently permissible for 
     vehicles traveling on U.S. routes in West Virginia; and, be 
     it further
       Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed 
     to forward a copy of this resolution to the President and 
     Secretary of the United States Senate, to the Speaker and 
     Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, and to 
     the members of West Virginia's congressional delegation.

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