AUGUSTA -- Trucks providing emergency relief to parts of Louisiana damaged by Hurricane Gustav will get a reprieve from weight and size limit laws, thanks to Gov. John Baldacci.

The governor signed an executive order yesterday, granting exemptions for haulers heading to the hurricane-damaged areas. He agreed to the waiver after Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal requested that the state of Maine provide aid.

"While Hurricane Gustav did not inflict the level of damage many of us feared as it approached land, the storm still did significant harm," Baldacci said in a press release. "We will honor Gov. Jindal's request and exempt carriers responding to this crisis from weight and size limits on state roads."

The governor said any driver operating a vehicle pursuant to the waiver must, upon request, present sufficient evidence that the items being transported are bound for emergency relief to those areas where a disaster declaration has been issued.

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