There may be no more common sight than that of a commercial truck pulled over on Route 95 in Pawtucket for a weight and/or axle violation. It was back in 2007 that weight and axle restrictions were placed on commercial trucks driving over the Pawtucket River Bridge and since that time the State of Rhode Island has levied millions... that's right... millions of dollars in fines against truckers and trucking companies.
In 2007 the State imposed a 22-ton weight limit on the Pawtucket River Bridge due to excessive wear and disrepair. This effectively prohibited large commercial trucks from traversing this section of Route 95. Rhode Island General Law 31-25-30 is responsible for creating an axle restriction over the Pawtucket bridge. A first offense is charged at $3000.00 and each subsequent offense will amount to a $5000.00 fine.
Most commercial trucks are required to detour onto Route 295 or Route 146 through the northern part of Rhode Island. Nevertheless, thousands of trucks are stopped each year and penalized with stiff fines. The fines which are often thousands of dollars have made millions of dollars for the State which might add some insight as to why this "temporary" problem has not yet been corrected.
Commercial truckers driving through Rhode Island should look to avoid Pawtucket at all costs, but if you find yourself stuck with one of these heavy fines, you can call my office right away for help. Furthermore, if the ticket is issued to an out of state trucking company, my office is able to appear on your behalf at the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal to avoid the need of coming to Rhode Island for a hearing.
If you are a commercial trucker facing large fines, whether received on the Pawtucket River Bridge, or not, contact my office right away for help in resolving your fines. In most cases we can have the matter dismissed or have the fine heavily reduced.
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