WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS PASS “NO THRU TRUCK” ORDER FOR SEVERAL PRECINCT ONE ROADS

  

Several Washington County roads in Precinct One are being closed to large truck loads.

After a public hearing at their meeting Tuesday morning, Washington County Commissioners unanimously approved an order designating and installing no thru truck signs on Pickens Road from Mt. Falls School Road to Bluff Road, Sweed Road from Highway 105 to Conner Road, Hidalgo Falls Road from Mt. Falls School Road to Pickens Road, and Gaskamp Road from Highway 105 to William Penn Road.

According to County Judge John Durrenberger, there is a very active large sand pit at the end of Mt. Falls School Road where it connects with Hidalgo Falls Road.  Durrenberger said this order is meant to cut down on the number of roads that need constant repairs as a result of the frequent truck traffic in and out of the sand pit.

 

Durrenberger added he has been in contact with the operators of the sand pit, and said they are “very much in agreement with these regulations”.

Commissioner Don Koester said by doing this, trucks will have one entrance and exit from the sand pit going down Mt. Falls School Road and Pickens Road back to Highway 105.  He said this will help save county roads and “keep them in a lot better shape than they are now”.

According to County Engineer Ross McCall, the county has spent over $150,000 on these four roads just over the last couple of years.

Commissioner Kirk Hanath said he was concerned that mail and delivery trucks will not be able to go through these roads, although they can deliver to homes on these roads.  He said a policy like this may not be suitable for some parts of the county, and could be “quite a logistical challenge”.  Commissioner Joy Fuchs said the county typically does not like to put restrictions on county roads, but admitted in some cases there is a need for them.