There is concern in the US over the ability of many bridges to cope with heavy trucks. A national, non-profit organisation, the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT), is campaigning against the introduction of larger trucks to US roads.
A report CABT produced, The Impacts of Heavier Trucks on Local Bridges, claims that around 15% of the 474,000 bridges making up the US National Highway System cannot cope with heavier trucks. According to the study,72,240 bridges on the network would be unable to cope with the weight of truck weighing 41tonnes or more.
The majority of the bridges classed as being in ‘poor’ condition are on local routes. Replacing these structures or improving them to an adequate condition comes with an estimated price tag of US$60.8 billion.
