Overweight truck traffic sparks complaints

Troubled by the number of large trucks traveling east into the village on Cold Springs Road, Town of Saukville officials have contacted Charter Steel and the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office to enforce the road’s three-ton weight limit.

“Their tires weigh more than that,” resident Daryl Schreiner, who lives on the road near the village limits, told Town Board members Tuesday night. “The road is in shambles.”

Eastbound trucks to Charter are supposed to follow Highway 33 into the village and turn north on either North Progress Drive or North Dekora Woods Boulevard to go to the Charter Steel plant.

But officials said drivers often follow their GPS, which takes them onto Cold Springs Road where it meets Highway I, just north of its intersection with Highway 33.

The drivers do so despite a sign on Cold Springs Road stating the road has a three-ton limit.

The trucks go into Charter empty and are loaded at the plant with steel coils. Signs direct trucks as they leave that they are not allowed to go west on Cold Springs Road.

Schreiner suggested the sign needs to be put on Highway I so trucks can see it before they turn onto Cold Springs.

Town officials said they would look into moving the sign. 

Town Clerk Raquel Engelke said she had already talked with Charter officials, who said they would talk to drivers, many of whom are independent contractors.

Town Board members directed Engelke to draft a letter to Charter that could be distributed to their drivers. 

They also have reached out to the Sheriff’s Office to increase enforcement of the weight restriction on the road.