Weight Limits Coming to Pa. Bridges

Gov. Tom Corbett's top transportation adviser is warning that another 1,000 bridges in Pennsylvania will be slapped with additional weight restrictions in the coming months as a consequence of declining funding for repairs.

Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch ('SHOKE) told the Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday that the policy is particularly necessary given the Legislature's failure to approve higher gas taxes and motorist fees since the 1990s.

Schoch says rising state police costs and stronger fuel efficiency standards are hurting revenue from motor vehicles. He says new weight restrictions will begin in August and potentially mean longer routes and commutes for haulers, school buses and emergency vehicles.

The Transportation Department says more than 2,200 state- and locally-owned bridges out of about 31,000 total are already weight restricted.

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