NEW ULM — Brown County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to rate all county road bridges and develop truck route maps for 90,000 and 97,000 pound permitted loads based on bridge load rating results.

Action came on a motion by Commissioner Scott Windschitl, seconded by Tony Berg.

The State of Minnesota allowed 90,000 pound trucks with six axles for a $300 annual permit and 97,000 trucks with seven axles for a $500 annual permit. Studies show heavier loads are easier on roads than 80,000 pound trucks with five axles.

Brown County Highway Engineer Wayne Stevens said Brown County roads have 31 span bridges, 15 load rated for 90,000 and 97,000 pound trucks. Fourteen bridges can allow the permitted trucks, but a bridge on CSAH 3 doesn’t allow it, leaving 16 bridges that need to be load rated to know if they can carry heavier trucks.

Load rating a bridge in good condition with an existing bridge plan for permitted trucks is estimated to cost $1,700. Estimated cost if $3,200 if a field inspection is required due to no existing bridge plans or the bridge is in poor condition.

Stevens said two county road bridges do not have existing plans. Of the 16 bridges that need a load rating, four as listed in good condition, 11 are in fair condition and one is in poor condition.

The highway department would like to see at least five more bridges load rated before any permits are allowed. Load rating five bridges on CSAH 8, 13, 16 and 29 could open the roads to allow permits if they have enough strength, said Stevens.

If the two bridges on CSAH 24 are load rated, it could open the road for heavier permits if they have enough strength.

Stevens trucks with more axles are actually easier on roads.

“If there were no bridges involved. This would be a no-brainer. The bridges are the concern. It’s not an issue with new bridges we just built. It’s the older ones,” he said.

Josh Anderson of Christensen Farms said opening more county roads for heavier truck loads would be of “tremendous value” to agriculture.

“We all want more efficient agriculture. We’re willing to work with the County. It’s a tremendous opportunity to move forward. “ said Anderson.

He said 80,000 pound axle limits create bottlenecks and that most counties in the region including Watonwan, Lyon and Redwood Counties heavier permits, but without Brown CR 29 being permitted for heavier weight today is a significant deterrent to Brown County farmers, transporters and the County itself.

Anderson said ADM and CHS have big plants in Marshall and Mankato with hundreds of trucks driven daily to them but they are not able to use CR 29 because it isn’t permitted, but is a far safer, convenient and a more fuel efficient route.

“The reality is there are people hauling overweight on that road (CR 29) today. You’re just losing out on that additional revenue. We consider buying the overweight permits, a cost of doing business,” said Anderson.

Brian Schwartz of Schwartz Farms and David Byro of Farmward Cooperative agreed with Anderson.

During his monthly update, highway engineer Stevens was asked to look into the possibility of keeping the flashing red lights recently installed on stop signs at the intersection of CR 8/CR 24, CR 24/TH 4 and CR 8/TH 14 due to the TH 4 project detour route.