Starting this week, the National Park Service will be conducting “targeted enforcement” meant to keep trucks over ten tons off of Arlington Memorial State Bridge in Virginia.
Bridge Deck Is Crumbling
In May of 2015, the Federal Highway Administration put a restriction in place that would ban trucks over ten tons from the bridge due to its extreme state of disrepair. Engineers say that the bridge deck should be 11 inches of solid concrete with a couple of inches of asphalt on top but the latest tests show the concrete has basically turned into gravel.
The engineers say that the bridge becomes weaker with every heavy truck that crosses it.
Citations Will Be Issued To Truck Drivers Starting This Week
While the weight restriction has not been heavily enforced up to this point, the National Park Service says that starting this week, there will be targeted enforcement designed to keep trucks off the bridge. Police will be monitoring bridge traffic and issuing citations that could put points on your license or include a fine.
They also say that they will add additional signage to the area to remind truck drivers to keep off the bridge.
The bridge is in need of $250 million worth of repairs.
Learn more about the enforcement campaign here.