Letter to Acting Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration Mr. J. Richard Capka

Letter to Acting Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration Mr. J. Richard Capka

'Mr. J. Richard Capka, Acting Administrator
Federal Highway Administration
Department of Transportation
400 7th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20590

Dear Acting Administrator Capka,

We are writing to express our serious concern about a fatal accident that recently occurred in Bangor, Maine. A pedestrian was killed when a fuel truck, well over the federally mandated 80,000 pound weight limit, was forced from both the Interstate and primary thoroughfares onto secondary roads and into residential neighborhoods.

As you are aware, Maine's Congressional delegation has long fought to secure an exemption for Maine's entire interstate highway system. The Federal Highway Administration recently denied a request by the Maine Department of Transportation to temporarily raise the weight limit on I-395 during the closure of the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge because it lacked the authority to grant such a waiver. FHWA cited the need for a legislative change and we are therefore asking you to collaborate with us to resolve this issue.

The tragic death in Bangor could have been avoided if such authority was available to, and exercised by, FHWA. Instead, the only route available was one that resulted in the horrific death of a pedestrian. We shudder to think of the safety implications had this fuel truck overturned or ruptured as a result of this incident.

In this spirit, we urge FHWA to work in conjunction with the Maine delegation to draft legislation that would grant such authority to the Administration on a limited basis. Such an effort could prevent another tragic death in the future.

Thank you and we look forward to your prompt response.

http://michaud.house.gov/article.asp?id=281