From his farm in southeast Dakota County, Brian Molitor has little trouble getting his grain north.
He can hop on a couple of state highways built to withstand the weight he is carrying. But a trip west to Burnsville or Savage forces him to go well out of his way — and pay more for fuel.
"It's just real hard to get to the western suburbs," Molitor said.
Dakota County commissioners will vote Tuesday on whether to designate an additional 42 miles of ultra-strong roads, capable of handling road-rattling 10-ton trucks.
It's part of a wider trend. Transportation experts and truckers say that there's a multibillion-dollar dilemma — and if communities want to attract businesses and keep the cost of goods low, thick pavement needs to be a priority. Counties across the state are expanding their network of roads that can carry heavy loads.
It's illegal for truckers carrying a certain weight to drive on Minnesota roads that are not meant for them. That means their options include taking inefficient routes, making more trips or ignoring the limits. Whatever they decide, the effects are felt soon enough by counties needing to repair the pavement.
"Just a few trucks can equate to thousands of passenger vehicles as far as the deterioration they contribute to the roads," said Dakota County Engineer Brian Sorenson.
Dakota County is home to a large number of gravel companies and farmers, meaning lots of heavy trucks.
It also lacks a comprehensive network of critical 10-ton roads that can accommodate trucks carrying 20,000 pounds per axle, particularly from east to west.
On Monday morning, loaders weighed and dumped brown and tan aggregate into truck beds at UMore Park in Rosemount. Truck drivers then rumbled over to a scale for a final weight check — 77,900 pounds, good to go — before pulling onto Hwy. 46.
"No trucks leave overloaded. It's that simple," production manager Stacey Hannover said. "If, God forbid, an accident should happen, you don't want to be liable for that."
Compared to some counties, Dakota's network of 10-ton roads isn't that bad, said Steve Dopp, one of the drivers heading out with a load of aggregate. But there are still areas in the county and throughout the Twin Cities where weight limits lead to more congestion and more accidents, he said.
"We have to go out of our way, which costs more fuel, more time," Dopp said.
Dakota County commissioners are expected to designate the 42 extra miles of highway as 10-ton roads — resulting in fewer trips, less emissions, safer roads and more economic development, officials said.
"We want to be able to move freight economically in Dakota County," Sorenson said. "We want the county to be an attractive place for industrial businesses to come in and operate. We need to make sure we have a road system that can handle them."
If a county does not have a navigable system of 10-ton roads, some businesses might go elsewhere, Sorenson said.
"The industry is going to set up shop where they can move their commodities with the least amount of hassle," said Greg Hayes, a truck weight education coordinator at Alexandria Technical and Community College. Hayes spent most of his career as a state trooper monitoring truck weight.
Hayes now teaches classes on the topic and said he often hears from students that enforcement is not nearly as strict as it used to be. And every year, he said, it seems like there are bigger trucks carrying more weight.
Calculating the cost of Dakota County's decision is tricky, officials say.
In some cases, increasing the miles of 10-ton roads is as easy as removing street signs. Several Dakota County roads are currently labeled with a 9-ton limit but are strong enough to handle the heavier trucks, county staff said. If they remove the limit signs drivers will assume the road can handle 10 tons.
Other times, more work is needed. Statewide, the total cost is reckoned to reach the billions.
Dakota County aims to steadily increase the routes, at a rate of 10 miles a year, with a goal of reaching 132 miles of 10-ton roads by 2022.
The county is not alone in its effort to bolster pavement.
Investing in 10-ton roads was one of the priorities listed by the Minnesota Transportation Finance Advisory Committee in a report on transportation investments over the next 20 years.
Counties are trying to use state aid to strengthen roads but often struggle just to prevent potholes and deterioration — leaving little money for extra layers of pavement, said Margaret Donahue, director of the Minnesota Transportation Alliance, which has advocated for increasing the number of 10-ton roads.
It would be expensive — at a cost of about $4 billion — to bring every mile of Minnesota's county roads to the 10-ton standard, Donahue said. So communities must focus on those that are most important for moving freight.
Jessie Van Berkel • 952-746-3280
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