The Foley City Council heard the first read at Monday’s council meeting on an ordinance that would not allow trucks with more than four axles to turn in any direction at the Alabama 59 and U.S. 98 intersection in downtown Foley.

“This will eliminate trucks making turns and backing up traffic along the highways and tearing up the curbs,” Mayor John Koniar said at the council work session.

At the March 21 work session, there was talk of not allowing vehicles with more than three axles to make turns at the intersection, but City Engineer Butch Stokes received some negative feedback from the council about the number of axles.

All vehicles still will be allowed to cross the intersection going north and south or east and west; it will only affect turns, Stokes said.

Stokes also said there are alternate routes in place for the vehicles in question, and each option includes the truck turning onto the Foley Beach Expressway. If a truck is heading north on Alabama 59 and wants to turn east or west on U.S. 98, then it could turn east onto County Road 20 and turn north onto the expressway and then make the desired turn at the expressway and U.S. 98 intersection. If a truck is coming south on Alabama 59, it could turn onto the expressway and head south to the intersection to make the desired turn.

If a truck is heading east or west on U.S. 98 and wants to turn onto Alabama 59, it could go to the U.S. 98 and expressway intersection and turn depending on whether it is headed north or south. If the truck is heading north, it could turn north on the expressway and connect to Alabama 59. If the truck is heading south, it could turn south at the expressway and then west on County Road 20, which connects to Alabama 59.

One councilman questioned whether the council wanted to send more traffic onto the expressway.

“We’re throwing all this traffic on the Foley Beach Expressway, and I think we may be shooting ourselves in the foot,” Councilman Wayne Trawick said.

“There’s really not many of them,” Stokes said. “We’re just talking about trucks with more than four axles.”

Some council members had other questions about the ordinance.

“How much of a warning phase will we go through,” Koniar said.

Police Chief David Wilson said there will be a warning phase at the beginning of the ordinance enforcement.

“We’ll also log what company it was so if they keep violating the ordinance, we can move past the warnings,” Wilson said.

When asked if the ordinance could be effectively enforced by Foley police, Wilson said, “It is a lot easier to enforce based off (the number of) axles.

“We all know what we are looking for,” Wilson added. “It is those trucks that tear up and damage the curbs.”

Councilman Ralph Hellmich asked when signs would be placed in the city letting drivers know, and Stokes said that would come soon after the ordinance is approved by the Alabama Department of Transportation.

“Once the council approves the ordinance, I have to notify ALDOT,” Stokes said. “I already got initial approval from them about the ordinance. They said they would take care of the signs.”