Livingston’s Spruce Reopens For Truck Traffic

Truck drivers will have access to Spruce Street once again after Livingston Aldermen voted to reopen the street for semi-trucks.

Alderman Bill Linder said he is the Plant Manager at HSM Solutions and he wanted to reopen Spruce Street for the plant’s trucks. Linder said truck drivers have to go all the way around the bypass to access the plant. Linder said as of now the bypass route is the only way to get to the plant.

“After the main highway turned into two lanes plus a turning lane,” Linder said.  “If you are sitting there at the red light and there are cars to your right there is no way to make that turn at the red light.”

Linder said in his 38 years as plant manager he has had only one complaint made by a resident about truck traffic on the street. Linder said the complaint was about a racing incident and that if issues continue his drivers will be held accountable.

“Well call the police and write them a ticket,” Linder said. “If it’s my drivers write them a ticket. They know better. They got CDL’s they get two or three they won’t be driving a semi.”

Linder said the same resident also had safety concerns. Linder said that could apply to other streets as well.

“One of her complaints was kids and animals,” Linder said. “Yes, I don’t want a kid ran over or someone’s animals ran over, but you got the same issue in Myers Street too.”

Linder did acknowledge that truck drivers do like to race down the street whether it was his drivers or not. Linder said that why truck drivers like to race down the street is a conversation for another day.