Covington County engineer warns Senate Bill 110 would accelerate road and bridge damage; commission approves personnel, licensing and procurement items

Covington County Engineer Lynn told the Covington County Commission on Tuesday that Alabama Senate Bill 110, as written, would increase allowable axle-load percentages by 10% and effectively raise the practical commercial limit from 40 to 44 tons, a change he said would speed deterioration of county roads and bridges and increase repair costs.

Lynn said the bill would not change gross vehicle weight but would raise what a single axle can legally carry, placing more wear on pavements and structures. He cited a handout distributed at the meeting that estimated hundreds of additional bridges could be posted and said the change could require roughly $150 million in additional statewide maintenance spending; Lynn also told commissioners that Covington County operates with roughly a $10 million annual shortfall to maintain existing infrastructure.

The engineer urged commissioners and residents to contact their state representative and senator. "I just, really, really express I can't express enough how much important it is to vote no on this issue," Lynn said, calling the proposal "a big deal" for rural counties with large inventories of unpaved roads and many bridges.

After the engineer's report, the commission moved through a set of routine and administrative items, approving a personnel reclassification in the road and bridge department, continuing its alcohol-license levy at the maximum allowed by the state, approving a restaurant retail liquor license for the…