By the end of the year, trucks traveling a 90-mile stretch of Interstate 35 through central Texas will be prohibited from the left lane.

The restriction, approved by the Texas Transportation Commission May 27, will be in place from near the Bell-Williamson county line to the southern city limits of San Marcos. Violating the order carries a fine up to $200.

Trucks will be allowed to use the left lane to pass only.

Carlos Lopez, director of the traffic operations division for the Texas Department of Transportation, told the Denton Record-Chronicle the agency likes the no-truck concept because “we think it improves safety.”

Lopez cited a study completed on the effect of a truck ban along an eight-mile stretch of Interstate 10 in Houston that showed crashes were reduced by 68 percent, while truck traffic remained constant.

The Houston Police Department’s presence along the stretch of roadway also was credited for fewer accidents.

Such bans are implemented at the request of local authorities, Lopez said.

The ban is limited to highways with three lanes in each direction, enabling truck drivers to pass other vehicles only if deemed necessary. Truckers can use the left lane for passing but not for constant travel.

Similar bans are already in place in Houston along Interstate 10 East, I-435 North and State Highway 225, and in San Antonio along I-10 and U.S. Route 90.