(a) It shall be unlawful for any owner, lessee or borrower of a vehicle or combination of vehicles to operate on any national system of interstate and defense highways such vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross weight in excess of the gross weight for which such vehicle or combination of vehicles is registered or in excess of any weight limitation set forth in this chapter, whether such limitation be specifically stated in this chapter or set by express authority granted in this chapter.

(b) Subject to the limit upon the weight imposed upon the highway through any one axle as set forth in section eight of this article, or the limit imposed upon the highway through any tandem-axle as set forth in section eight-a of this article, the total gross weight with load imposed upon the highway by any one group of two or more consecutive axles of a vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed the gross weight given for the respective distance between the first and last axle of the total group of axles measured longitudinally to the nearest foot as set forth in the following table:

Distance in feet between the extremes of any groups of two or more consecutive

Maximum load in pounds carried on any group of two or more consecutive axles

axles 2 axles 3 axles 4 axles 5 axles 6 axles

4 34000

5 34000

6 34000

7 34000

8 34000 34000

9 39000 42500

10 40000 43500

11 44000

12 45000 50000

13 45500 50500

14 46500 51500

15 47000 52000

16 48000 52500 58000

17 48500 53500 58500

18 49500 54000 59000

19 50000 54500 60000

20 51000 5550 060500 66000

21 51500 56000 61000 66500

22 52500 56500 61500 67000

23 53000 57500 62500 68000

24 54000 58000 63000 68500

25 54500 58500 63500 69000

26 55500 59500 64000 69500

27 56000 60000 65000 70000

28 57000 60500 65500 71000

29 57500 61500 66000 71500

30 58500 62000 66500 72000

31 59000 62500 67500 72500

32 60000 63500 68000 73000

33 64000 68500 74000

34 64500 69000 74500

35 65500 70000 75000

36 66000 70500 75500

37 66500 71000 76000

38 67500 72000 77000

39 68000 72500 77500

40 68500 73000 78000

41 69500 73500 78500

42 70000 74000 79000

43 70500 75000 80000

44 71500 75500 80500

45 72000 76000 81000

46 72500 76500 81500

47 73500 77500 82000

48 74000 78000 83000

49 74500 78500 83500

50 75500 79000 84000

51 76000 80000 84500

52 76500 80500 85000

53 77500 81000 86000

54 78000 81500 86500

55 78500 82500 87000

56 79500 83000 87500

5 780000 83500 88000

58 84000 89000

59 85000 89500

60 85500 90000

Provided, That no vehicle or combination of vehicles shall have a gross weight, including the load, in excess of sixty-five thousand pounds, except that the maximum gross weight of vehicles operating on the national system of interstate and defense highways and any highway providing reasonable access to and from terminals and facilities for food, fuel, repairs and rest within the state shall not be in excess of eighty thousand pounds and except as otherwise provided in this article. Notwithstanding the limits prescribed in this subsection, two consecutive sets of tandem-axles may carry a gross load of thirty-four thousand pounds each providing the overall distance between the first and last axles of such consecutive sets of tandem-axles is thirty-six feet or more: Provided, however, That the limits prescribed in this subsection shall not prohibit the operation of any vehicle or combination of vehicles of a type which could be lawfully operated in accordance with gross vehicle weights in effect on January 1, 1975: Provided further, That no maximum weight in excess of or in conflict with any weight limitations prescribed by or pursuant to any act of Congress shall be permitted on the national system of interstate and defense highways.