Missouri Truck Accident Blog

Federal Government Approves $4 Billion Plan for Dedicated Truck Lanes

The St. Louis Business Journal recently reported that the Federal Highway Administration had approved Missouri’s four-billion-dollar plan to build dedicated truck lanes along I-70. The Missouri Department of Transportation’s plan calls for building extra highway lanes specifically for trucks. The lanes will run for about thirty miles along I-70 in Saline and Cooper counties. When completed, the lanes will be the longest section of dedicated truck lanes in the county.

The state of Missouri also applied for $200 million in federal stimulus money, in addition to its own $4 billion budget for the project, to help build the truck lanes.

The plan calls for two inside lanes in each direction to be dedicated solely to large tractor-trailer traffic. A concrete barrier will separate the eastbound truck lanes from the westbound truck lanes, and grass medians will separate the truck lanes from the car lanes. Trucks entering or exiting I-70 will use either specially built truck lanes or will pass through the car lanes before entering the dedicated truck lanes. The dedicated truck lanes are intended to increase safety on I-70 by separating large tractor-trailers from passenger cars, which should decrease the number of car-truck accidents.

While all vehicle traffic poses some risk, motorists who share the road with large trucks run the extra risk of collision with these large, heavy vehicles. Motorists who are injured in St. Louis tractor-trailer collisions caused by a truck driver’s negligence may be entitled to damages and other monetary compensation for their injuries. If you have been injured in a large truck accident, contact the experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys at Page Law today. Our attorneys will protect your rights while fighting to hold negligent parties responsible for their actions. Contact Page Law today by calling (314) 322-8515 for a free and confidential evaluation.