Truck-Weight Sensors on Inbound DC Highway

The District of Columbia has announced plans to install electronic truck-weight sensors on Interstate 295. The move is part of an effort to catch overweight trucks coming into the city, the Washington Times has reported.

Bill Rice, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Transportation, told the Times the sensors would be “a virtual weight station.” He said the system was the first of its kind and would cost $1 million to build. They are being installed because heavy truck traffic is damaging I-295, which carries traffic from I-95 into the city.

Trucks tapped as overweight will be flagged down and ticketed immediately, the Time said. Fines will be $100 for the first 5,000 pounds over the limit and $6 for each additional 100 pounds. The truck weight limit on the interstate highway system is 80,000 pounds.