WHEREAS, the Arkansas State Highway Commission has authority under Section 75-801 (Ark. Stats. Ann. [1947] Act 7 of the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas for the year 1983) to determine by resolution and to impose restrictions as to the weight of vehicles operated upon any highways under the jurisdiction of said commission and such restrictions shall be effective when signs giving notice thereof are erected upon the highway or portion of any highway affected; and
WHEREAS, the maintenance of the state highways is an ever increasing burden, compounded by higher costs of maintenance, increased truck weights and severe winter season causing much damage to these highways; and
WHEREAS, the determination of maximum weights for all traffic facilities should be based upon studies of engineering and traffic characteristics thereof; and
WHEREAS, the local District Engineers of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department are best qualified to conduct such studies and best able to respond to emergency situations whenever any highway, by reason of deterioration, rain, snow, or other climatic conditions will be seriously damaged unless the use of vehicles thereon is prohibited or the permissible weights thereof reduced; and
WHEREAS, the posting of such signs as to weight and the prohibitions or restrictions imposed thereon, are declared by the Arkansas State Highway Commission to be within the direct authority of the District Engineers of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department.
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED that the actions of the District Engineers of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department in erecting and maintaining such signs upon the highways under the jurisdiction of the Arkansas State Highway Commission and the District Engineers are directly authorized to continue with studies of the state highways within their respective districts, and with the posting of signs giving notice of any prohibition of any limitation as to weight of vehicles operating upon such highways, with such restrictions to be effective when such signs are erected and maintained.