The Nation

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has chosen as supervisor of his $1 trillion infrastructure plan Mitch Landrieu, who as New Orleans mayor pushed the city into recovery after the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. Landrieu will be tasked with coordinating across federal agencies to work on roads, ports, bridges and airports, the White House said Sunday. Biden is expected to sign the infrastructure bill into law on Monday. Landrieu, 61, was formerly the Louisiana lieutenant governor and took over as mayor of New Orleans in 2010, five years after Katrina swamped the city and as the area’s recovery stalled — and as a massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico polluted the state’s coastline. He secured billions in federal funding for roads, schools parks and infrastructure, and turned New Orleans “into one of America’s great comeback stories,” the White House said in a statement. “I am thankful to the president and honored to be tasked with coordinating the largest infrastructure investment in generations,” Landrieu said in the statement. “Our work will require strong partnerships across the government and with state and local leaders, business and labor to create good-paying jobs and rebuild America for the middle class.” When Landrieu was mayor, he gained national recognition when he removed four Jim Crow-era monuments from the New Orleans landscape, including statues of three Confederate icons. Landrieu launched the E Pluribus Unum Fund in 2018, which aims to break barriers of race and class by cultivating leaders who can build common ground. The infrastructure package is a historic investment by any measure, one that Biden compares in its breadth to the building of the interstate highway system in the last century or the transcontinental railroad the century before. He called it a “blue-collar blueprint to rebuilding America.”

There are many different tire chain laws throughout the nation, as each state sets its own rules. Below is a roundup of each state’s current laws. Winter has already begun in many areas of the country, so it’s important to know when and where to chain up. ALABAMA The use of tire chains is allowed on any vehicle when required for safety because of snow, rain or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to slide or skid. ALASKA Truckers are not permitted to use chains from May 1 through Sept. 15 when north of 60 North Latitude. Truckers are not permitted to use chains from April 15 through Sept. 30 when south of 60 North Latitude. If operating a vehicle on Sterling Highway, truckers are not permitted to use chains from May 1 through Sept. 15. Truckers will need to obtain a special permit from the Department of Administration if they would like to use chains in one of these prohibited zones. ARIZONA Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. ARKANSAS Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. CALIFORNIA Drivers must stop and put on chains when highway signs indicate chains are required. Drivers can be cited by the California Highway Patrol and fined if they don’t. Drivers will usually have about a mile between “chains required” signs and the checkpoint to install your chains. During winter weather, it takes at least eight chains for a standard tractor-trailer configuration to comply with the regulations. During the winter months, there might be traction chain controls in the mountain areas. When these are established, truckers will see signs posted along the highway. These signs will also include the type of requirement, which will include one of the following: R1 – Chains, traction devices or snow tires are required on the drive axle of all vehicles except four wheel/ all-wheel drive. R2 – Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four wheel/ all-wheel drive with snow-tread tires on all four wheels. R3 – Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions. COLORADO From Sept. 1 through May 31, all trucks must carry enough chains on Interstate 70 when traveling between mile marker 259 outside Golden, Colorado, and mile marker 133 in Dotsero, Colorado. If truckers get stopped and do not have chains on, the fine is $50 plus a surcharge of $16. If truckers do not put chains on their trucks when the law is in effect, the fine is $500 plus a $78 surcharge. If truckers do not put chains on and end up blocking the highway, the fine will increase to $1,000 plus a $156 surcharge. Note: Colorado has two different types of chain laws: Level 1 – Single-axle combination commercial vehicles must chain up. Trucks must have all four drive tires in chains. When Level 1 is in effect, all other commercial vehicles must have snow tires or chains. Level 2 – When level 2 is in effect, all commercial vehicles are required to chain up the four drive tires. CONNECTICUT Chains are permitted during hazardous weather from Nov. 15 through April 30. The chains cannot be damaging to the highway’s surface. DELAWARE Trucks are permitted to use chains on highways from Oct.15 through April 15. GEORGIA At any time, the Georgia Department of Transportation may close or limit access to certain highways during inclement weather. If this occurs, signage will be placed to inform drivers that chains are required in order to proceed. For commercial vehicles, chains must be placed on the outermost drive tires. IDAHO Officials with the Idaho Department of Transportation can determine that it is unsafe to drive over Lookout Pass and Fourth of July Pass on I-90, and Lolo Pass on Highway 12. If it is deemed unsafe, then trucks will be required to chain up a minimum of one tire on each drive axle and one axle at or near the rear. ILLINOIS Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. INDIANA Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. IOWA Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. KANSAS Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. KENTUCKY No person shall use on a highway not covered with ice a vehicle with a chained wheel unless the wheel rests upon an ice-shoe at least 6 inches wide. When chains are used on rubber-tired vehicles, the cross chains shall not be more than three-fourths (3/4) of an inch in thickness or diameter and shall be spaced not more than ten inches apart, around the circumference of the tires. LOUISIANA Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. MAINE Vehicles cannot have tires with metal studs, wires, spikes or other metal protruding from the tire tread from May 1 through Oct. 1. Other than that, ttire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice, or another condition that might cause slippery highways. MARYLAND Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice, or another condition that might cause slippery highways. MASSACHUSETTS Massachusetts prohibits the use of studded tires and chains between May 1 and Nov. 1 without a permit. Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice, or another condition that might cause slippery highways. MICHIGAN Tire chains are allowed for safety when snow, ice or other condition are present. If chains are used, they must not come in direct contact with the roads surface. MINNESOTA Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. MISSISSIPPI Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. MISSOURI No person shall operate any motor vehicle upon any road or highway of this state between the first day of April and the first day of November while the motor vehicle is equipped with tires containing metal or carbide studs. The use of tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice, or another condition that might cause slippery highways. MONTANA If the Montana Department of Transportation determines that highways are too dangerous for travel, they may establish the following recommendations on traction devices: Chains or other approved traction devices are recommended for drive wheels. Chains or other approved traction devices are required for drive wheels. Chains required for driver wheels. NEBRASKA Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. NEVADA It is unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle, whether it is an emergency vehicle or otherwise, without traction devices, tire chains or snow tires upon any street or highway, under icy or snowy conditions, when the highway is marked or posted with signs for the requirement of traction devices, chains or snow tires. If a highway is marked or posted with signs requiring the use of traction devices, tire chains or snow tires, a motor vehicle or combination of vehicles must be equipped with: Traction devices, tire chains or snow tires if the vehicle has a gross weight or combined gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less. Tire chains if a vehicle has a gross weight or combined gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds. NEW HAMPSHIRE Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. NEW JERSEY Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. NEW MEXICO Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. NEW YORK Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. NORTH CAROLINA Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. NORTH DAKOTA North Dakota allows metal studs within 1/16 inch beyond tread from Oct. 15 through April 15. The use of tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. OHIO Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. OKLAHOMA Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. OREGON Oregon’s law applies to all highways in the state. Signs will tell truckers when they are required to carry chains and when they are required to use them. Truckers will need to have six chains on hand to comply in Oregon. The use of tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice, or another condition that might cause slippery highways. PENNSYLVANIA Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. RHODE ISLAND Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. SOUTH CAROLINA Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. SOUTH DAKOTA The South Dakota DOT has the authority to restrict travel on roads. Signs will alert truckers to these restrictions. Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. TENNESSEE Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. TEXAS Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. UTAH When any designated highway is so restricted, no vehicle shall be allowed or permitted the use of the highway during the period between Oct. 1 and April 30, or when conditions warrant due to adverse, or hazardous weather or roadway conditions, as determined by the Utah Department of Transportation, unless: An operator of a commercial vehicle with four or more drive wheels, other than a bus, shall affix tire chains to at least four of the drive-wheel tires. VERMONT Vermont has a traffic committee that will decide if use of chains will be required. Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. Vehicles with semitrailers or trailers that have a tandem-drive axle towing a trailer shall have chains: On two tires on each side of the primary drive axle, or if both axles of the vehicle are powered by the drive line, one tire on each side of each drive axle; and On one tire of the front axle and one tire on one of the rear axles of the trailer. VIRGINIA Tire chains are allowed when required for safety during a time of snow, ice or another condition that might cause slippery highways. WASHINGTON Any commercial vehicle over 10,000 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating should carry chains from Nov. 1 to April 1 when driving on one of the following routes: Blewett Pass SR-97 between MP 145 and Milepost 185 Chinook Pass SR-410 Enumclaw (MP 25) to SR-12 (MP 342) Cle Elum to Teanaway SR-970 Cle Elum (MP 0) to Teanaway (MP 10) Gibbons Creek to Intersection of Cliffs Rd. SR-14 Gibbons Creek (MP 18) to Intersection of Cliffs Rd. (MP 108) Mt. Baker Highway (Ellensburg to Selah) SR-542 (MP22) to (MP 57) I-82 from Ellensburg (MP 3) to Selah (MP 26) Newhalem to Winthrop SR-20 Newhalem (MP 120) to Winthrop (MP 192) Omak to Nespelem SR-155 Omak (MP 79) to Nespelem (MP 45) Satus Pass SR-97 Columbia River (MP 00) to Toppenish (MP 59) Sherman Pass SR-20 Tonasket (MP 262) to Kettle Falls (MP 342) Snoqualmie Pass I-90 North Bend (MP 32) and Ellensburg (MP 101) Stevens Pass SR-2 Dryden (MP 108) to Index (MP 36) White Pass SR-12 Packwood (MP 135) to Naches (MP 187) WEST VIRGINIA The use of chains is allowed for safety when snow, ice or other condition are present. If chains are used, they must not come in direct contact with the roads surface. WISCONSIN The use of chains is allowed for safety when snow, ice or other condition are present. If chains are used, they must not come in direct contact with the roads surface. WYOMING When the chain law is in effect due to snow, ice or other conditions, travel on a highway may be restricted to use only by motor vehicles utilizing adequate snow tires or tire chains. There are two levels. Level 1: When conditions are hazardous, travel can be restricted to vehicles equipped with tire chains, vehicles with adequate snow tires, or all-wheel-drive vehicles. Level 2: When conditions are extremely hazardous, travel can be restricted to vehicles equipped with tire chains or all-wheel-drive vehicles equipped with adequate mud and snow or all-weather-rated tires. The operator of a commercial vehicle shall affix tire chains to at least two of the drive wheels of the vehicle at opposite ends of the same drive axle when the vehicle is required to utilize tire chains under this subsection. Any driver that is in violation will face a fine of no more than $250. If the violation results in the closure of all lanes in one or both directions of a highway, truckers will face a fine of no more than $750.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Monday afternoon signed into law the largest-ever investment in the nation’s infrastructure. From improved roads, cleaner water systems, faster high speed internet and new bridges to adding thousands of jobs and delivering improved environmental impacts, the sweeping $1 trillion bill has been touted by Biden and other government officials as a way to rebuild America’s infrastructure better and stronger than ever before. “The world has changed, and we have to be ready,” Biden said from the South Lawn of the White House before a crowd of dozens. “The bill is proof that, despite the cynics, Democrats and Republicans can come together and deliver real results.” Biden thanked everyone from his wife, Jill, to Vice President Kamala Harris, members of the bipartisan support group from the House and Senate, as well as governors, mayors and everyone else who supported the measure. “We are taking a monumental step forward to build back better as a nation,” the president said as the crowd cheered. “Today, we are finally getting it done. My message to American people is this: America is moving again, and your life is going to change for the better.” The plan promises to reach almost every corner of the country. It’s a historic investment that the president has compared to the building of the transcontinental railroad and Interstate Highway System. The White House is projecting that the investments will add, on average, about 2 million jobs per year over the coming decade. The bill cleared the House on a 228-206 vote Nov. 5, ending weeks of intraparty negotiations in which liberal Democrats insisted the legislation be tied to a larger social spending bill — an effort to press more moderate Democrats to support both. The Senate passed the legislation on a 69-30 vote in August after rare bipartisan negotiations, and the House kept that compromise intact. Thirteen House Republicans voted for the bill, giving Democrats more than enough votes to overcome a handful of defections from progressives. Here’s a breakdown of what the infrastructure bill includes: ROADS AND BRIDGES The bill would provide $110 billion to repair the nation’s aging highways, bridges and roads. According to the White House, 173,000 total miles or nearly 280,000 kilometers of America’s highways and major roads and 45,000 bridges are in poor condition. The almost $40 billion for bridges is the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the national highway system, according to the Biden administration. PUBLIC TRANSIT The $39 billion for public transit in the legislation would expand transportation systems, improve accessibility for people with disabilities and provide dollars to state and local governments to buy zero-emission and low-emission buses. The Transportation Department estimates that the current repair backlog is more than 24,000 buses, 5,000 rail cars, 200 stations and thousands of miles of track and power systems. PASSENGER AND FREIGHT RAIL To reduce Amtrak’s maintenance backlog, which has worsened since Superstorm Sandy nine years ago, the bill would provide $66 billion to improve the rail service’s Northeast Corridor (457 miles, 735 km), as well as other routes. It’s less than the $80 billion originally sought by Biden — who famously rode Amtrak from Delaware to Washington during his time in the Senate — but it would be the largest federal investment in passenger rail service since Amtrak was founded 50 years ago. ELECTRIC VEHICLES The bill would spend $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations, which the administration says are critical to accelerating the use of electric vehicles to curb climate change. It would also provide $5 billion for the purchase of electric school buses and hybrids, reducing reliance on school buses that run on diesel fuel. INTERNET ACCESS The legislation’s $65 billion for broadband access would aim to improve internet services for rural areas, low-income families and tribal communities. Most of the money would be made available through grants to states. MODERNIZING THE ELECTRIC GRID To protect against the power outages that have become more frequent in recent years, the bill would spend $65 billion to improve the reliability and resiliency of the power grid. It would also boost carbon capture technologies and more environmentally friendly electricity sources like clean hydrogen. AIRPORTS The bill would spend $25 billion to improve runways, gates and taxiways at airports and to improve terminals. It would also improve aging air traffic control towers. WATER AND WASTEWATER The legislation would spend $55 billion on water and wastewater infrastructure. It has $15 billion to replace lead pipes and $10 billion to address water contamination from polyfluoroalkyl substances — chemicals that were used in the production of Teflon and have also been used in firefighting foam, water-repellent clothing and many other items. PAYING FOR IT The five-year spending package would be paid for by tapping $210 billion in unspent COVID-19 relief aid and $53 billion in unemployment insurance aid some states have halted, along with an array of smaller pots of money, like petroleum reserve sales and spectrum auctions for 5G services. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON — A U.S. appeals court has ruled that heavy-duty truck trailers cannot be covered under fuel-saving rules adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In 2016, those agencies set rules requiring trailer manufacturers to install fuel-saving equipment, such as side skirts and automatic tire pressure systems.” However, that requirement was challenged by the Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association, and a court put a temporary hold on the order. The appeals court on Nov. 12 said that regulating trailers is akin to regulating bike racks, rooftop cargo carriers or anything similar that “would impact the fuel efficiency of a vehicle.” “NHTSA can regulate tractors based on the trailers they pull, as can the EPA,” the court said. “But neither NHTSA nor the EPA can regulate trailers themselves. “Trailers … have no motor. They are therefore not ‘motor vehicles.’ Nor are they ‘vehicles’ when that term is used in the context of a vehicle’s fuel economy, since motorless vehicles use no fuel.” In 2016, the EPA said that as much as one-third of potential reductions in tractor-trailer emissions could be achieved through regulation of the trailer’s equipment and design alone. The EPA and NHTSA have not yet commented on the ruling.

LITTLE ROCK — A crack in a steel beam that forced the closure of the Interstate 40 bridge connecting Arkansas and Tennessee for three months likely began when the span was fabricated in the 1970s and went undetected for years, a report by Arkansas’ Transportation Department released Thursday said. A forensic investigation by an outside firm hired by the department said the crack occurred in a weld between two plates during the bridge’s fabrication. Those welds were more susceptible to cracking because of the type of steel and welding method used then, the department said. “In all likelihood the cracking in the weld occurred within hours of its completion but was not detected by any post-weld repair fabrication testing and remained unchanged for a number of years,” the department’s report said. The crack had been visible in 2016, and an inspector who had missed it was fired by the department in May. The report said the weld fracture initially was not visible by conventional inspection and was not caught by an ultrasonic inspection in 1982. The I-40 bridge spanning the Mississippi River was shut down May 11 after inspectors found the crack in one of two 900-foot  horizontal steel beams critical to the bridge’s structural integrity. Road traffic had been diverted to the nearby Interstate 55 bridge — about 3 miles south of the I-40 bridge — during the I-40 bridge’s repairs. The bridge fully reopened in August. The department released the forensic investigation, its review of the crack and a review conducted by the Federal Highway Administration as it announced changes to its bridge inspection program. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general is also conducting an investigation and has interviewed Arkansas bridge inspection employees. “We will now move forward with confidence and make the changes necessary to improve our program so that the past will not be repeated,” Arkansas DOT Director Lorie Tudor said in a statement. The problems with the weld were not detected when ultrasonic testing was performed on the bridge’s girder welds in 1982 because of defects found with similar bridges. The initial fracture occurred on the interior face of the box where it was not visible by conventional inspection. The report said the fracture spread in phases, starting with the weld, until it was discovered in May. A department spokesman said two officials with the inspection program — state heavy bridge maintenance engineer Michael Hill and staff engineer Stewart Linz — retired Wednesday. The department said it was placing its heavy bridge maintenance section under new management and is reorganizing the inspection program. The reports and the retirements were first reported Thursday by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The fired inspector had missed the crack in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Another inspector who had missed the crack in 2018 had never inspected that portion of the bridge before, and the department said he has been “verbally counselled” and will receive additional training. The department’s report said the agency’s failure to adequately respond to employees concerned with the fired inspector’s job performance “perpetuated a culture where team members did not feel they had the authority or support to question a lead inspector’s procedures or thoroughness.” The department also said under its changes that “fracture critical” bridges like the I-40 span will not be inspected by the same person consecutively. I-40 runs from North Carolina to California. Manufacturers and shippers rely on the interstate to move products and materials across the Mississippi River. About 50,000 vehicles typically travel across the bridge in a day. Arkansas is responsible for the bridge’s inspections and Tennessee is responsible for maintenance and repairs. The closure was expensive for the trucking industry, with the Arkansas Trucking Association at one point saying the closure cost the industry about $2 million a day. Arkansas said the repairs to the bridge and inspections following the closure cost $10 million. The Arkansas report said it was “highly unlikely” that a similar crack would occur on the bridge, but said the bridge’s welds will continue to be inspected at arm’s length and that ultrasonic testing should be done periodically.