Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
THE CITY of Ironwood is placing new signs around the city, such as the one on Silver Street, above, directing truck users to a permissible truck route as part of an ordinance passed in October.
By TOM STANKARD
Ironwood - The city of Ironwood passed a truck route ordinance in October requiring trucks exceeding a gross vehicle weight of more than 30,000 pounds to use required truck routes and/or the shortest distance to the route.
Andrew DiGiorgio, Ironwood Public Safety Department director, said the ordinance was designed to keep big trucks off McLeod Avenue and Ayer Street. But he said that doesn't mean vehicles with heavier loads can't use those streets.
DiGiorgio said vehicles doing business on those streets, but exceeding the weight limit, will be allowed to make routine deliveries while taking the most direct route possible.
Drivers can find signs listing the new route throughout town, including heading west into Ironwood on U.S. 2 and on Silver Street entering Michigan from Hurley. The installation of the signs is expected to continue in the upcoming weeks, DiGiorgio said, to assist truck drivers in locating the designated route.
The ordinance sets up a permissible route that includes U.S. 2 (Cloverland Drive), the U.S. 2 Business Route, Easy Street, Commerce Street, Liberty Street, Country Club Road north of Ayer, Wall Street, Old Country Club Road from South Davis to Country Club Road and Luxmore Street, from Wall Street to U.S. 2.
"Once the signage has been placed, all trucks over 30,000 gross vehicle weight will be required to follow the designated route," DiGiorgio said.
He said there's not much difference in distance or time from Hurley if a truck travels along U.S. 2, rather than using McLeod.
In the past, DiGiorgio said many big rig drivers coming from U.S. 51 in Hurley have been avoiding the Department of Transportation scales on U.S. 2 by taking McLeod or Ayer Street.
He said four areas of traffic conflict have been identified along McLeod and Ayer and said there are two access points available to truckers to the city's industrial park coming off U.S. 2.
Violations of the ordinance are a misdemeanor that's punishable by a fine up to $500 and costs of prosecution, or jail time up to 90 days, or both.
