BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – Motorists driving near U.S. 250 in Belmont County are posting on social media about traffic tie ups due to commercial trucks traveling on narrow county roads.
Lt. Brian McFarland of the Ohio Highway Patrol St. Clairsville post spoke to River News Network and confirmed that recently around five commercial trucks have been unable to negotiate the narrow roads and turns on three county roads off U.S. 250. Those roads are Crescent Road, Barton Road and Farmington Road.
McFarland said the trucks’ GPS systems are misdirecting them down these county roads. He said it is unclear if the GPS systems used are the commercial ones or ones for the casual motorist. Still, McFarland said the truckers should pay attention to the signs posted on these roads that clearly prohibit commercial truck traffic.
The trucks are not associated with the oil and gas industry, McFarland explained, but are hauling a variety of items.
McFarland says the trucks become stuck when going around turns and cannot back up. Law enforcement must then respond and dispatch a commercial wrecker to tow the stuck truck.
According to McFarland, truckers are fined for these incidents for failure to control.
McFarland said the incidents happen sporadically.
