Motor carrier enforcement units from the Delaware and Maryland State Police have launched a crackdown on commercial vehicles attempting to evade tolls on the Route 301 bypass.
The action began as Cecil County residents and communities reported heavy truck traffic posing safety issues while battering rural roads not designed for the weights of big rigs and other heavy commercial vehicles.
The two day operation was conducted on Thursday February 28 and Friday March 1, a release from the Delaware State Police stated.
The units staggered their hours so that enforcement was done from 5 a.m. through midnight. During the two-day operation, 85 commercial motor vehicles were stopped and found to be bypassing the tolls.
Eighty-five commercial motor vehicle inspections were conducted, with 77 traffic citations and 50 written warnings issued for various offenses. Two unsafe trucks were put out of service and one driver was placed out of service.
Additional operations will be conducted in the near future.
The crackdown was reminicent of long-running efforts to halt tractor-trailers headed to the now-razed Chrysler assembly plant. The drivers bypassed the Delaware tolls and were subject to ticketing by Newark Police.
