The North Dakota Department of Transportation is seeking the help of trucking companies in a study examining the effects of longer trucks on state roads.
In the fall of 2020, North Dakota lawmakers began considering legislation that would allow for these “road trains” to travel across the state, saving on fuel costs. However, the prospect of extra long semi trucks raised safety concerns amongst legislators, so they instead passed a bill allowing the state to study the idea before putting it into effect.
Now, the NDDOT is accepting applications from trucking companies interested in helping with the study by gathering information on the best road train routes and setups, reported US News.
“This is a great opportunity to work with our transportation partners and learn more about the long combination vehicle impact on the state highway system,” said Mike Kisse, maintenance assistance division engineer with the Transportation Department. “This legislation has the potential to benefit the North Dakota economy.”
Proposed routes for these extra long semi trucks will be evaluated and studied by NDDOT with particular emphasis on potential issues traveling over bridges and through intersections. The potential problems of motorists attempting to pass these extra long trucks will also be considered.
Applications will be accepted through November 2021 and NDDOT plans to complete the study and report their findings by August 1st, 2022.
The current limit on semi truck length in North Dakota is 100 feet, with a proposed extension of 130 feet.