Callery introduces vehicle weight limit for Breakneck Street
CALLERY — Borough council began the process of “bonding” Breakneck Street to prevent further damage to the surface of the road from large commercial vehicles. This would make haulers financially responsible for any damage they cause to the road.
The bonding of Breakneck Street would set a maximum vehicle weight of 10 tons, and the borough would post signs at each end of the street to warn drivers of the limit.
At its monthly meeting Monday, June 3, borough council voted to made a formal determination that “commercial overweight vehicles utilizing Breakneck Street ... are causing damage to the street and/or bridge structure.”
The borough is taking this action due to complaints from residents about damage caused to the surface of Breakneck Street by commercial trucks using the road to access the businesses on the street’s northern end.
“It's becoming more and more of an issue,” said council president Rose Marie Wirtz. “Our residents on Breakneck Street have expressed concern, and we just feel that we need to move ahead.”
These businesses are located in Adams Township, according to members of the council. Wirtz said letters have been sent to the businesses informing them of the bonding process.
Borough solicitor Tom Smith said the formal determination was necessary to continue with the bonding process and comply with the wording in the borough’s ordinance on posted weight limits, as well as Pennsylvania state code.
According to Wirtz, the borough previously spent $18,000 on engineering studies from Baker Engineering which indicated Breakneck Street had a 10-ton weight limit.
“We've had weight studies done; we had core samples done,” Wirtz said. “It was a very large, very expensive engineering study.”
In addition, earlier this year, the borough spent just short of $70,000 to replace culverts beneath Breakneck Street and resurface part of the road.
Wirtz said any further damage to the street would be money coming out of Callery taxpayers’ wallets in the form of repair bills.
“We just have to protect our taxpayers,” Wirtz said. “It's taxpayer money that pays for these updates and repairs and things of that nature.”
Under the borough’s ordinance on vehicle weight restrictions, owners of overweight vehicles can apply for a permit from the borough office. As part of the application, the owner would have to sign a written agreement to pay for any street maintenance necessitated by their presence on the road.
