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Soybean farmers partner with county road commission

 

A partnership between soybean farmers and a county road commission is providing new technology to inspect rural bridges.

Kathy Maurer with the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee says most weight limits on bridges are made from visual inspections and when limits are imposed they can cause major reroutes that add up for farmers.  “Every time a farmer has to recognize a load limit, it will add time and it will add dollars to the cost of them moving their inputs and their products.”

She says a $10,000 grant from the checkoff, with the help of the Soybean Transportation Coalition, was able to provide a sensor kit and training to Midland County Road Commission to re-evaluate load limits on three rural bridges.  “We’re going to find one of three things.  Either they’ve been right spot on with their visual inspection, or maybe they’re a little bit more conservative so some of those weight limits could be raised or removed, or they’ll find out—whoa—this bridge needs a lot more love than we thought.”

After inspections using the new technology, the commission found load limits were not required. Maurer tells Brownfield next year they plan to work with two more county road commissions to see if more weight restrictions can be eliminated with new testing.

AUDIO: Interview with Kathy Maurer