A piece of legislation in Raleigh brought a sigh of relief for drivers in Highlands this week.
North Carolina House Bill 593, entitled “Restricting truck length in the Cullasaja Gorge” was signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper.
According to Highlands Mayor Patrick Taylor, the new law will increase the fine for commercial tractor trailers using the Gorge Road from $500 to $5,000.
“I can’t say thank you enough to Representative (Karl) Gillespie and Senator (Kevin) Corbin for their work in Raleigh getting this legislation enacted,” Taylor said. “The tractor trailers in the Cullasaja Gorge have become an ongoing problem, and hopefully increasing the fine from $500 to $5,000 will make the trucking companies stop using that route. A $500 fine might not matter to them, but it’s hard to imagine a $5,000 fine won’t make a difference.”
The Gorge Road is known for its steep, winding, and narrow route, especially between the intersection of Buck Creek Road and the Intersection of NC106 in Highlands.
Despite the best efforts of the NC Department of Transportation, the number of incidents related to tractor trailers using the Gorge Road (US64) between Franklin and Highlands has increased in recent years. A truck turnaround for commercial trucks was built in Franklin, lighted flashing signs were placed in both Franklin and Highlands, and the route was removed as a “commercial route” on several mapping applications – but the problem remained.
“The trucking companies just see (US64) is the shortest route and that’s how they send their drivers,” Taylor said. “No amount of signage was going to stop them, so hopefully a larger fine will.”
HB593 addresses the pressing safety concern by increasing the penalty for violating the current vehicle restriction law on a particularly dangerous road, according to Gillespie.
“The frequent incidents of large commercial trucks getting stuck on this road have created hazardous conditions for residents and first responders, while diverting essential resources from the community,” Rep. Gillespie said. “HB593 aims to enhance road safety and ensure that our first responders can focus on serving and protecting our residents.”
The language in the law states – “G.S. 20-115.1 provides length limitations for motor vehicle combinations consisting of truck tractors and tandem trailers or semitrailers. The Department of Transportation has adopted a rule prohibiting truck tractors with trailers longer than 30 feet on a segment of US Route 64 between State Road 1533 and NC Highway 106 in Macon County. HB593 would make violation of the motor vehicle combination length restrictions on the segment of US 64 between SR 1533 and NC 106 in Macon County subject to an additional civil penalty.”