After receiving a number of complaints about semi-trucks blocking Oil Tank Road to deliver logs to Reynolds’ Wood chipper mill, the town of Maplesville recently installed two signs along the road to prohibit vehicles from obstructing it.

Located on the right shoulder of Oil Tank Road, the signs say, “Do not block street, subject to fine.”

Street Superintendent Kenny Barrett installed the signs on Monday, one at the intersection of Oil Tank Road and Reynolds Street and the other in front of the chipper mill yard.

“We’ve had a lot of complaints in the last year, so we put the signs up not to block the road,” Mayor W.C. Hayes said. “You can’t do that on a public road. It’s against the law.”

One of the complaints came from councilwoman Sheila Hall, who brought up the issue for discussion at the town’s January council meeting.

Hall said she was trying to drive to her mother’s house and couldn’t get past 18-wheelers parked in the middle of Oil Tank Road as they unloaded their lumber at the chipper mill.

Oil Tank Road is the only road leading in and out of the area where Hall’s mother and other residents live.

“That’s the only road in and out,” Hayes said. “You’re not supposed to park in the street to take your logs off. If they do it every day, people get tired of it.”

In addition, blocking access to and from residents’ homes could worsen emergency situations, such as fires or medical emergencies in which someone needs to be transported to a hospital quickly.

Hayes said the chipper mill has been in its location for many years, and he wasn’t sure why trucks blocking the road had become an issue in the last year.

The Maplesville Police Department has the authority to write citations for violators of the no-block law on Oil Tank Road.

Citations for blocking the road would fall under Section 32-5A-137 of Alabama’s traffic laws prohibiting stopping, standing or parking in specified places.

Violators of the law are subject to a fine of $25 plus $204 in court costs.