Truck inspection station in Wisconsin uses latest technology

Public Roads, May-June, 2004

Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Frank Busalacchi and local officials recently opened the Kenosha Safety and Weight Enforcement Facility on westbound Interstate 94, near the Illinois border. The new inspection station in Kenosha, WI, features the latest equipment to ensure that trucks do not exceed weights, safety equipment is operational, and all credentials are accurate. Busalacchi called it the first of a new breed of inspection stations planned for construction at the State's borders.

The facility incorporates several new features, including two enclosed inspection bays that enable inspectors to work indoors, automated brake-testing equipment, and a weigh-in-motion scale that calculates the truck's weight as it moves through station. The facility also includes ample parking for truck drivers, office space for State patrol troopers to perform administrative duties, and a secure area for testing the breath-alcohol concentration of impaired drivers. The $6.7 million station, which replaces a 51-year-old building that predated the interstate, will enable inspectors to perform more inspections in less time and serve as a first-line defense in homeland security.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Wisconsin DOT