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Weight limits concerning residents living along busy Baton Rouge boulevard

4 years 1 month 1 week ago Friday, February 07 2020 Feb 7, 2020 February 07, 2020 7:16 PM February 07, 2020 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Trucks carrying too much weight for a posted road limit is a constant concern for Tom Mixson.

"You are violating my home," he said. "They've been warned, they've been cited, and they're still doing it."

Mixson has lived on Sherwood Forest between Florida Blvd. and Goodwood Blvd. for years. Friday morning, he watched as 18-wheelers carrying steel beams and pallets of 2x4s hauled down his road. A sign at the front of the subdivision says no trucks are allowed over 7.5 tons.

He says the constant heavy rumble of the trucks has caused damage to his house, but his calls for help when it comes to enforcing the problem have gone unanswered.

"Hearing my wife say she has to straighten her pictures in the bathroom every other day because they're being shifted on the wall," he said. "You can see the separation of the brick."

The City-Parish says it's concerning for the roads because more weight creates base failures and compromises a road's integrity.

"But until you stop someone and hit them in the pocketbook maybe that's what will get some people's attention," Transportation and Drainage Director Fred Raiford said.

According to a City-Parish ordinance, if a truck is traveling on its shortest and most direct route to its destination to deliver or pick up material there is an exception to the weight limit. Mixson says the red flag there is that there's no local routine patrolling for violators.

This week, 2 On Your Side heard from both Baton Rouge Police and Louisiana State Police who says the Department of Public Safety steps in when requested by local law enforcement. State Police has the equipment to weigh trucks. The driver does not have to consent to an inspection but can be fined civilly for refusal. It would be that trooper's discretion to write a citation in the event the driver is in violation of a particular statue. 

The City-Parish has a different view and says it's up to local jurisdiction to enforce. No matter who is responsible, Mixson is concerned it'll never happen on his busy road.

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