Cole County, which currently has no weight-restricted roads, will consider a change in that policy in an upcoming hearing.
The Cole County Public Works Department will hold a public hearing at the regularly scheduled Cole County Commission meeting. The hearing is set for 9 a.m. Oct. 5.
Public Works Director Eric Landwehr said there has been a heavy increase in tractor trailer traffic using Tanner Bridge Road as a bypass route around Wardsville and going south towards Route B in recent years.
"This particular stretch of roadway is an old pavement that is very narrow," Landwehr said in a news release. "Tractor trailer traffic unfamiliar with the road is causing safety hazards for residents in the area as well as causing premature pavement failure issues."
Additionally, roads in the Osage City area are incorrectly being used by tractor trailers to access the Jefferson City Correctional Center, Landwehr said.
"Tractor trailers cannot navigate the curves and often run off the road and get stuck trying to back up," Landwehr noted. "This results in damage to the road and right-of-way causing increased maintenance work for the county."
To address the issue, public works staff have drafted amendments to the Cole County traffic code that will prohibit the operation of certain commercial vehicles on these roadways. Landwehr said the amendments will specifically target vehicles using the roadways as a pass through.
"There will be exceptions to the regulation allowing trucks to serve residents and businesses along the roadways for items such as deliveries, construction work and trash pickup," Landwehr said. "Exceptions will also be made for emergency vehicles as well as road maintenance vehicles and equipment."
After receiving comments from the hearing, the commission will vote on the proposed amendments.
For more information, call the public works department at 636-3614.