Opinion | SB110 is a costly mistake that puts Alabama’s roads at risk

Alabama has spent years improving its roads. Now, a proposed bill threatens to undo that progress, shifting costs onto taxpayers while putting drivers at greater risk. Senate Bill 110 (SB110) would raise axle weight limits for certain commercial trucks, allowing heavier loads on roads and bridges that weren’t built to handle them. It’s a bad deal for Alabama, not just in terms of infrastructure damage but in real dollars and cents.

Rejecting SB110 isn’t just a safe choice — it’s the only responsible one.

This bill isn’t about making roads better. It’s about shifting costs away from a select few businesses while leaving everyone else to foot the bill. Heavier trucks cause more damage, and Alabama’s roads are already strained by heavy traffic, aging infrastructure, and extreme weather. ALDOT estimates that increasing axle weights could add $150 million per year in additional maintenance costs. That’s money that will have to come from somewhere — either through higher taxes, diverted infrastructure funds, or deferred repairs that make roads even worse over time.

Then there’s the issue of bridges. More than 350 additional bridges could require weight restrictions if SB110 passes. Reinforcing or replacing them would cost millions per structure, a burden that local governments will struggle to manage. And if Alabama’s infrastructure deteriorates faster than planned, the state could lose critical federal transportation grants, forcing taxpayers to pay even more. What looks like a financial boost for a few industries will quickly turn into a financial burden on everyone else.

Bad roads don’t just make driving miserable; they make Alabama less competitive. Manufacturers, farmers, and small businesses all rely on stable infrastructure. If roads and bridges start failing, the whole economy suffers. Trucking delays increase costs, detours slow shipments, and businesses face higher insurance rates as road conditions worsen. These consequences don’t just affect a handful of companies — they ripple across the entire economy, making Alabama a less attractive place to do business.

Beyond the financial impact, there’s a serious safety concern. Log trucks, dump trucks, and concrete mixers are already some of the most dangerous vehicles on the road. Raising weight limits only makes them harder to stop, more likely to tip over, and more prone to mechanical failures. Heavier trucks put more strain on brakes, making failures more common. They also require longer stopping distances, increasing the likelihood of deadly crashes. And on Alabama’s sharp turns and rural roads, rollovers become even more likely.

There’s also the issue of liability. As truck weights increase, so do insurance premiums and legal risks. Heavier trucks mean more severe crashes, higher settlement costs, and rising insurance rates — not only for trucking companies, but for businesses that depend on freight transportation. Eventually, those costs get passed down to consumers. A bill that’s meant to help a few industries could end up costing everyone more.

The real question is whether Alabama wants to invest in long-term economic growth or undermine its own progress. The state has already committed billions to improving infrastructure. SB110 would work against those investments, forcing Alabama into a cycle of faster road deterioration, higher costs, and declining safety. A strong transportation network benefits everyone — not just a few industries looking for short-term gains.

This bill isn’t only a bad idea — it’s a costly mistake. Alabama should stay on the right path and reject SB110 before it turns our roads into a taxpayer-funded wreck.