Staff photo by Fritz Busch A pickup truck stops at a township road stop sign on a Brown County Road 27 curve a couple miles west of New Ulm. Brown County commissioners unanimously approved allowing permits for six and seven axle trucks Tuesday.

NEW ULM — Brown County commissioners unanimously approved allowing permits for 90,000-pound trucks with six axles and 97,000-pound trucks with seven axles Tuesday.

The State of Minnesota allows 90,000 pound trucks with six axles for a $300 annual permit and 97,000 pound trucks with seven axles for a $500 annual permit for county roads identified on permitted routes.

Permit conditions include a minimum of $1,500,000 bodily injury and property damage liability and $1,500,000 combined single limit automobile liability must be carried.

Brown County Highway Engineer Wayne Stevens said studies show the six and seven axle trucks are easier on road surfaces than an 80,000 pound truck with 5 axles. The concern has been the effect on bridges. There are 31 span bridges on Brown County roads. Nineteen bridges can allow the permitted trucks. One bridge on County State Aid Highway 3 cannot allow them. That leaves 11 county bridges that need to be load-rated to know if they can carry the trucks.

“I think this is a step forward, putting less stress on roads than they get now. I’ll make a motion. We’ll continue to use the State Patrol and Brown County Sheriff’s Office to enforce load limits,” said Commissioner Scott Windschitl.

“It’s a win-win,” said Commissioner Brian Braun, making a second motion.

Brown County roads allowing load rated permits include CR 30, 29, 27, 25, 20 (where paved), 19, 18, 17, 16, 13, 11, 10, 8 (except north of 30), 7, 2.