Transportation Investment Act Your Penny, Your Progress
On the Road with TIA: Burke County's Waynesboro Truck Route
A designated route for large trucks will improve traffic efficiency and safety for everyone
Economic and civic growth in counties and cities inevitably means more large truck traffic. Decades ago, communities were just fine with narrow, two-lane streets, a tightly-built downtown or government and commercial district, and neighborhoods set on grids with neat four-way stops, as commercial vehicles were much smaller and not as numerous. Today, however, a typical semi truck is 72 feet long, 8.5 feet wide, 13.5 feet tall and they can weigh as much as 40 tons (80,000 pounds!) loaded. With hundreds of these vehicles driving through older civic lay-outs and infrastructure, it's no surprise that traffic safety and efficiency are negatively affected. Many municipal areas are tackling the big truck problem by constructing designated routes just for them.
In this video series, we're taking a look at projects that are underway in TIA regions, why they were selected for program inclusion and how they're expected to resolve issues in their communities. Local officials and TIA staff recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Waynesboro Truck Route, and were excited at the prospect of improved traffic through the area. Click here to discover why they're celebrating.
