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Big trucks, frayed nerves in Shoreacres

10:24 PM CDT on Tuesday, May 6, 2008

By Kevin Peters / 11 News

Click on video for Kevin Peter's 11 News report

SHOREACRES, Texas -- Freight trucks help drive the nation's economy, but in the small town of Shoreacres their growing numbers are also driving concern. 

“It's just unbelievable how much truck traffic there is now,” complains Shoreacres resident Shelley Henderson. “I see them run the red light all the time. Light turns green and you've got watch for those truckers, because they do run them and they run them a lot.” 

It's one reason police maintain a high presence at State Highway 146 and Shoreacres Boulevard.

“The port has provided a huge increase in truck traffic,” said Shoreacres City Administrator David Stall. “We expect to see more of that in the future.”

More than two years ago, the city started its own commercial vehicle enforcement unit to crackdown on unsafe trucks.

Last year, officers discovered 3,300 violations. That averages to more than four violations per truck.  

“We're finding a number of violations out there. They're real safety concerns,” said Stall.

Much of the increased traffic is coming from the Bayport Container Terminal. 

The container terminal officially opened last February. And as more cargo comes into the port, more trucks will roll through Shoreacres. 

Overall, the port of Houston brings in 1.7 million containers a year. That in itself is a 50-percent increase from five years ago. 

To help speed up the traffic in the area the Texas Department of Transportation is looking at building an overpass.