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Bannock County staff to propose temporary weight limits as I‑15 bridge work redirects oversized loads onto county roads
Summary
Public works director warned commissioners that I‑15 construction and detours are routing oversized loads onto local roads; staff will return next week with a plan proposing temporary weight, speed and width limits under IDAPA rules to protect county pavements.
Public Works Director Kyle Burmister told commissioners that state bridge work on I‑15 is diverting oversized traffic onto local roads and causing damage, and he said county staff will bring a recommendation next week on temporary spring thaw weight limits.
Burmister described conversations with the state and said the current detour pattern and permitted oversized haulers are increasingly using routes through Inkom and other county roads not designed for the loads. He described a proposed regulatory approach that would set spring‑thaw weight limits by tire‑load, saying “it ends up to be about 14,000 per axle with dual tires” (an estimate tied to a 350‑pounds‑per‑inch‑tire standard staff proposed).
Burmister told the board that a formal weight‑limit order also requires the county to adjust maximum vehicle speed and width for affected roads; he said the draft restrictions would include 30 mph maximum speed and a 12‑foot‑6‑inch width cap. He recommended notifying state police, the Port of Entry and the sheriff’s office to support enforcement.
Commissioners asked that Burmister return Tuesday or Thursday next week with a formal plan and signage recommendations. The board did not take a formal vote but directed staff to prepare the regulatory package and enforcement plan for consideration.
Burmister also briefed commissioners on other public‑works work: a planned aerial chemical application for noxious‑weed control (a helicopter spraying roughly 400–2,000 acres in the first phase, staff said), culvert and shoulder work, and preparations for spring mag (magnesium chloride) road treatments.
