FAIRMONT - Most drivers will agree that Highway 15 south of Fairmont is in rough shape.
The good news is the Minnesota Department of Transportation plans a new overlay; the bad news is it won't occur until 2012.
Until then, the state wants to impose a weight restriction on the road during the eight-week spring thaw, making it a 7-ton limit instead of 10 tons.
But as Martin County Engineer Kevin Peyman pointed out to Martin County commissioners Tuesday, that puts a major crimp on truck traffic coming in from the south.
"It es-sentially cuts off the south end of the county," he said. "It leaves the options of County Road 53, which is only a few miles from the east county line, or Highway 4 just a few miles from the west county line."
The third option is one that will make more people unhappy.
"We have seen truck traffic on County Road 41 and Lake Aires Road, where there's development and a heavy residential area, but it's a 9-ton road," Peyman said. "We've had people in here in the past complaining about truck traffic on those roads, and with this it's possible we'll see even more."
With trucks hauling for two ethanol plants and a bean-crushing plant, commissioners suggested the state may not be aware that the Highway 15 overlay should be a priority.
"Is the state using 10-year-old figures to make these decisions?" asked Commissioner Steve Pierce. "Things here have changed so much in just the past five years."
"We don't want to lose the two ethanol plants and the bean plant just because the trucks can't get there," agreed Commissioner Dan Schmidtke.
The reasoning the state would set the weight restriction so low on Highway 15 is because damage caused by heavier truck traffic would call for a reconstruction of the road, not a simple overlay.
Peyman said getting the project moved ahead in the state's schedule would be an uphill battle.
"We're more concerned that the project will get bumped back," he said.
Another question was how heavily the state's weight restrictions will be enforced. Usually the commercial vehicle enforcement segment of the State Patrol is responsible for enforcing weight restrictions.
"It's the elephant in the room," said Martin County Sheriff Brad Gerhardt. "If enforcement gets in the way of business, that's not a good marriage. But if the State Patrol is aware of the issue down here, they can take it to the DOT."
Along with contacting state agencies and the Legislature, commissioners went as far as to offer to pay for starting the project early.
"It's gotta be the only time the county's offered to give the state money," Pierce said.
No formal action was taken on any of the options, but Peyman said he would draft a letter, which would include suggestions for the weight postings and how to make the project a higher priority.
In other business, commissioners:
o Approved the ARMER radio system participation plan and subscriber agreement.
Because of grants received, purchase of portable radios already has begun and will enable officials to test which areas are receiving coverage from which towers, once they are constructed.
o Approved a resolution supporting an application to the Parks and Trails Legacy grant program to construct a trail connecting Trimont with Cedar-Hanson park. A 25 percent match is required for the program.