(Porter County, IN) - The Indiana Department of Transportation is cautioning people not to overreact to a new surveillance system being installed on area highways.

 

New roadway monitors have been installed that check for overweight trucks.  According to a statement, the cameras being used "are part of a new Weigh-in-motion (WIM) system that INDOT is piloting for research purposes. This system identifies and weighs trucks as they pass by, eliminating the need for trucks to slow down to go through a weigh station." The project is an attempt to crack down on overweight trucks that damage roadways. According to the department, one 80,000 rig can do as much damage to pavement as 9,600 cars.

 

INDOT says the system does include cameras that read license plates.  However, the cameras cannot be used to issue citations without approval to do so from the state legislature.

 

Locally, such a checkpoint has been set up on U.S. 30 in Porter County, about 2.5 miles east of State Road 49. Another is being installed on I-94 near Chesterton.