A number of northern Utah truckers are suing the state and police officers patrolling a portion of U.S. 89, claiming they essentially are being barred from using the highway.
The plaintiffs, led by Fife Rock Products, Brigham City, and E.A. Miller, Hyrum, have asked 1st District Judge Lanny Gunnell to prevent officers from ticketing truckers using U.S. 89 in the Perry and Willard areas.The truckers claim they are "in compliance with valid regulations" and that lawmen trying to stop other rigs from bypassing the Utah Highway Patrol weighing station on adjacent I-15 have been delaying them, restricting their travel and ticketing their drivers.
The Utah Transportation Department has ordered all trucks over 10,000 pounds gross weight to leave U.S. 89 and stop at the I-15 port of entry, to catch overweight vehicles and reduce truck traffic on the four-lane highway.
The plaintiffs claim that, in most cases, their trucks are engaged in legal commerce that often does not require travel through the port and that UDOT and local police are trying to illegally regulate traffic.