Police want action to stop tractor-trailers from using residential streets to get to landfill

(WKBN) – A number of police chiefs in eastern Mahoning County are tired of seeing big tractor-trailers using roads in their communities to get to a landfill in Poland Township.

Tuesday morning, several chiefs and officers — along with County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova — set out to discuss the problems.

Police provided video of semi-trucks traveling along residential streets, trying to get to the Republic Services landfill off of US 224. The chiefs say many of the trucks are from New York and New Jersey, and the drivers don’t know the area and easily get lost.

“They’re not using trucker GPS’s, so what happens is they’re coming off 616, they’re coming from the east, it now tries to give ’em an automobile shortcut and that automobile shortcut brings ’em through residential areas,” said Lowellville Police Chief Rick Alli.

“The streets are not built, they’re not engineered to withstand the weight of those vehicles. The vehicles — the trucks — are too wide. They can’t safely travel down one lane, so it is, it’s definitely an issue from a safety perspective,” added Poland Township Police Chief Greg Wilson.

While the chiefs say they would like to cite the truckers for safety violations and even impound their rigs, the prosecutor said she and her staff will research to see what officers can do to discourage the drivers from using their roads.