The heaviest tractor-trailers in Illinois would be free to travel on more roads in Illinois if a bill now before the General Assembly passes.

Currently, the state’s laws restrict most of the heaviest trucks to traveling either one or five miles off Interstates or other controlled access highways, depending on the circumstances, even if that truck has a delivery that is a greater distance from the highway than state law allows.

Under SB2564, sponsored by Sen. John M. Sullivan, D-Quincy, those trucks would no longer face a maximum distance. The bill changes several aspects of Illinois law.

• It allows trucks to travel “the necessary distance” off main highways to load or unload.
• It applies the same rule to trucks traveling off highways onto state, county, or township roads for food, rest, fuel and repairs.
• It changes the weight restriction on some of those roads from 73,280 pounds to 80,000 pounds, or no more than 20,000 pounds per axle (34,000 pounds per tandem axle).

The new rules apply to trucks only if they take the shortest possible practical route off the main highways to their destinations.

The bill is now before the Senate Transportation Committee. A hearing is scheduled before that panel for 10:30 a.m. Feb. 19 in the Stratton Building in Springfield, IL.