Rain-related delays have caused Governor Bruce Rauner to declare a Harvest Emergency throughout the state for the next 44 days.
The signing of a Harvest Season Emergency proclamation means that trucks hauling agricultural commodities like grain will be allowed to seek a permit to increase the gross vehicle weight on their trucks by ten percent on non-interstate highways. Local authorities can also waive the permit requirement, and permits can be obtained at truckpermits.illinois.gov at no cost until December 20th.
According to the Pike and Scott County Farm Bureaus, local road jurisdictions like county, road districts, and municipal, can honor the Harvest Season Emergency proclamation; however, farmers will have to seek their approval. The two county farm bureaus says they will send notes to Pike and Scott county highway engineers asking them to honor the permit.
Farmers wishing to utilize the Harvest Season Emergency provisions of the law to allow for the ten percent gross vehicle weight variance must obtain a permit fro the Illinois Department of Transportation.
According to Governor Rauner’s office, Illinois corn harvest at the end of October was 17 percentage points lower than last year according to federal statistics.