It will probably take a decade before the truck inspection stations at the edge of town reopen full time, but local officials hope to accelerate the process to alleviate truck traffic in Moorpark and on rural Highway 118.

The inspection stations are not manned most of the time because of state budget cuts, said Moorpark Councilmember Keith Millhouse, who serves on the Ventura County Transportation Commission. Truckers use Highway 118 to avoid the scales and possible fees on the 101 Freeway in Camarillo, he said.

“Truck traffic has increased tremendously over the last few years. It is one of the top issues for Moorpark,” said Assemblymember Audra Strickland, a Moorpark resident.

Schools, homes and businesses along Los Angeles Avenue are impacted by the traffic, but the trucks can’t be entirely eliminated, she said.

Although the city shouldn’t be used a thoroughfare for rigs that don’t stop in the county, truck traffic also means the economy is healthy, she said. Moorpark and the county both need the businesses and jobs that inevitably create some local truck traffic, Strickland said.

According to Jim Dantona, a Simi Valley lobbyist who plans to run against County Supervisor Judy Mikels in the June election, big rigs belong on the 101. Dantona is working with Strickland to lobby the state administration and the state and federal legislation for funds to pay for a complete operational weigh station on Highway 118.

“Mikels has ignored Moor-park. She has never lifted a finger to make the Highway 118 weigh station fully operational,” Dantona said.

“Mikels has not contacted my office for any state assistance,” said Strickland.

But even though it’s not permanent, the local facility is operational, said Mikels, adding the California High Patrol doesn’t have the resources to man the station full time. The westbound facility was closed for a while for upgrades but it’s functional again, Mikels said.

Mikels also said in most cases, truckers avoid the 101 Freeway and the Camarillo grade because it’s hard on trucks, although a few try to avoid the inspection facilities.

A recent study of the rural highway corridor found that while the scales are not always open, officers are trained to spot trucks that might have problems. “They do a good job at just pulling off the trucks that should be inspected,” Mikels said.

The Ventura County Transportation Commission and the CHP are working to get a permanent weigh station built on Highway 118 and the project is ready to go, but the $20 million needed for construction is not available, Mikels said.