Heavier and longer trucks will start appearing on some designated Waitaki roads after an agreement between the Waitaki District Council and New Zealand Transport Agency.
At present, the weight of trucks is limited to 44 tonnes but now, with a permit, can increase to 50 tonnes on selected roads.
However, because trucks carrying 50 tonnes will have to have nine axles, the actual weight being transmitted to roads will remain at 7.9 tonnes per axle.
The Government wants to introduce the higher weight limit to provide more efficient transport of goods, believing it will reduce transport costs and the number of trucks on roads.
When the issue arose earlier this year, some councillors were worried about the impact of heavier trucks on roads, and who would pay the cost if roads were damaged or deteriorated quicker.
At this week's council meeting, roading manager Michael Voss said the cost was expected to be minimal, but the mixture of heavy vehicles may be biased towards the 50 tonnes because of milk tankers, logging trucks and bulk haulage.
Many of the district's roads were unsealed with limited improvements, or made of thin seal, and 18 bridges had weight restrictions.
''There is no doubt the introduction [of 50 tonne trucks] would accelerate wear and tear on our roading network,'' he said.
However, that was difficult to measure.
The effects would be monitored and if they were unsustainable, the council could withdraw from the agreement, Mr Voss said.
