THREE RIVERS AREA — County judges are voicing concern after the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department announced Jan. 25 that it will impose new weight restrictions on 133 miles of state highways, including highways in counties in the Three Rivers area.
Weight restrictions in these counties, previously listed at 80,000 pounds, will drop to 73,280 pounds. Other areas will be restricted to 64,000 pounds. These new regulations are aimed at gas companies drilling in the Fayetteville Shale, as well as other industries carrying heavy loads. Smaller state highways were not built to accommodate such heavy traffic, and area residents have noticed their roads deteriorating since Fayetteville Shale play began in 2004.
Still, Cleburne County Judge Claude Dill said a little bit of road damage is worth the economic benefit of gas drilling.
“I think this is another blow to the natural-gas industry,” he said.
Dill said Cleburne County has had good relations with gas companies like Southwestern Energy and Chesapeake that have been drilling in the area for years.
“They have always tried to work with us, and they have been a huge economic impact to the state,” Dill said.
Dill said he is also worried about the effect the new state laws will have on county road systems.
“The Highway Department didn’t talk to any of the counties before making the new rule,” he said. “It’s probably going to force traffic onto our roads much more. They are going to take county roads instead of state highways.”
Kelly Robbins of the Arkansas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners said he wasn’t sure how the new rule would affect the routes of gas companies working in the state.
“I will say that obviously our community, our industry, our members and the folks that work for them are going to abide by whatever the rules and decisions are,” Robbins said. “We certainly hope this won’t slow down drilling. Our state and many of the employees and communities are thriving right now as a result of the Fayetteville Shale’s presence.”
It isn’t just the gas companies that will be affected by the weight-limit changes. Many counties in the Three Rivers area rely on the farming industry, which will also be affected by the new restrictions.
“It’s not going to be a good thing for industry [in general],” White County Justice of the Peace Kenneth Horton said. “A lot of our farm trucks carry loads that push the weight limits.”
Horton said he believes that anytime the state makes changes, the cost ultimately filters down to the consumer.
“I think it’s a mistake,” he said. “You can cripple an industry. I don’t see it as being a good thing for our state; it will cost the people of the state more money.”
The state Highway and Transportation Department’s law-enforcement arm, the Arkansas Highway Police, will “strictly enforce” the new posted limits. The agency won’t necessarily increase its patrols but will make the new restrictions a priority, Glenn Bolick, an agency spokesman, said in a Jan. 26 interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Some highways in the region have seen their traffic counts more than double, according to a Highway and Transportation Department analysis released last year.
That analysis tallied damage totaling $450 million on state primary and secondary roads in a 10-county region.