The state of Illinois has issued a Harvest Season Emergency, which came into effect on Nov. 5th for a 45-day period. The legislation is intended to speed up the process of grain or livestock hauling for farmers due to weather or crop conditions that have slowed the harvest season down.
The three common forms of weight restriction – gross, axle, and registered – are all addressed. The HSE has been declared for the entire state, and that means farmers will have to obtain a certain number of permits depending on the routes they will be using to haul. The permit will allow farmers to haul up to a maximum of 10 percent over the standard weight restriction.
For state routes, the permit will be obtained from the Illinois Department of Transportation. For county routes, you’ll want to contact the county engineer. Road district roads are overseen by the highway commissioner. And municipal streets are under the jurisdiction of the street department. All required permits for this HSE are free to obtain.
The provision is in effect until Dec. 19th, but local road jurisdictions can shorten that time frame.
written by Jackson Kane
