Special to the Herald
SPRINGFIELD – An effort to pave the way for a smoother understanding of truck routes in Effingham County was initiated during the March 18 regular meeting of the Effingham County Board of Commissioners.
The board and County Manager Tim Callanan discussed clarifying the language in the current Traffic Ordinance that says trucks must take the shortest distance to an existing truck route to get to their destination. The county prohibits the use of medium- and heavy-duty trucks, defined as commercial vehicles class 6 through 13 (by the Federal Highway Administration), on roads not listed as designated truck routes.
The sign used to identify truck routes has already been changed to better communicate to truck drivers that certain roads are not identified on the Freight Route List.
“If you’re on a local road in a truck, you have to be on the route to a truck route,” Callanan explained about the updated language in the ordinance. “You can no longer be using local roads as a means to get to your destination. You have to prove that you’re on your way to a truck route; and you can do that with documentation, such as a bill of lading.”
The Freight Route List is being updated to include roads that are under contract for upgrades to freight standards or soon will be. They are: Blue Jay Road, McCall Road from Gateway Parkway to Hwy 21 in Rincon; McCall Road from Hwy 21 in Springfield to Blue Jay Road; and Sandhill Road from Blue Jay Road to Hwy 80.
Blue Jay Road is set for an increase in lane widths from just over 10 feet to 12, plus the installation of 2-feet shoulders.
In other action, the Board of Commissioners heard from county resident Tony Monopoli, who asked for time to address the board.
Monopoli expressed concerns that Georgia’s congressional delegation is allowing the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to do the job that is expressly given to Congress in the Constitution.
“(The DOGE) team (was) handed vast powers with virtually no transparency or accountability. They have gained seemingly unlimited access to our highly personal and sensitive information and systems,” Monopoli said. “(Elon) Musk and his team have severely and indiscriminately disrupted federal departments, agencies, programs, funding and people, all without regard to contextual and institutional history, and under the pretext of increasing government efficiency and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse.”
Monopoli continued saying that these decisions by Musk and DOGE, who is “unelected, unconfirmed with multiple conflicts of interest,” should not be making.
Monopoli concluded his remarks asking the commission to consider passing a resolution asking Georgia’s Congressional delegation to resume its duties as outlined in Article I of the US Constitution.
