(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:

axles 2 axles3 axles4 axles5 axles6 axles

434000

534000

634000

734000

83400034000

93900042500

104000043500

1144000

124500050000

134550050500

144650051500

154700052000

16480005250058000

17485005350058500

18495005400059000

19500005450060000

2051000555006050066000

2151500560006100066500

2252500565006150067000

2353000575006250068000

2454000580006300068500

2554500585006350069000

2655500595006400069500

2756000600006500070000

2857000605006550071000

2957500615006600071500

3058500620006650072000

3159000625006750072500

3260000635006800073000

33640006850074000

34645006900074500

35655007000075000

36660007050075500

37665007100076000

38675007200077000

39680007250077500

40685007300078000

41695007350078500

42700007400079000

43705007500080000

44715007550080500

45720007600081000

46725007650081500

47735007750082000

48740007800083000

49745007850083500

50755007900084000

51760008000084500

52765008050085000

53775008100086000

54780008150086500

55785008250087000

56795008300087500

57800008350088000

588400089000

598500089500

608550090000

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.