Semi-trucks traveling across Texas will soon be banned from entering the city limits of Odessa.

Traffic Coordinator in the City of Odessa, Texas, Hal Feldman says that the idea for the truck ban has been in the planning stages for over a year, but that, by the end of March, signs alerting truck drivers of the new policy will be raised along Interstate 20 and Loop 338.

“There’s no doubt that trucks put more stress on a roadway than a pick-up truck or a motor vehicle,” said Feldman, who has been working with the Texas Department of Transportation to raise the signs and begin enforcement of the new rules.

“So, what we’re trying to do is make the truck routes Loop 338 and Interstate 20,” he explained.

“If the trucks do have a destination or a delivery point in Odessa, they need to be using I-20 or Loop 338 and use the shortest route to get to that destination point… We expect to see increase traffic [on the highway] but hopefully, we won’t see increased traffic on city roads.”

The ban applies to trucks with tandem axles, as well as all semi-trucks pulling trailers.

Feldman and TXDOT hope that the few weeks it takes to raise the signs along I-20 and Loop 338 will be enough time for truckers to adjust to the new rules before officers begin enforcing them.