WASHINGTON — The Department of Transportation announced that after reviewing thousands of public comments on the matter, it would resume its plans to allow 100 Mexican trucks to operate throughout the U.S. as part of a pilot project.

According to Bloomberg, the announcement, published in Friday’s Federal Register, means that DOT is ready to greenlight the project that was blocked by Congress earlier this summer.

The program was originally scheduled to kick-off in April, but the House voted 411-3 to restrict the pilot granting about 1,000 Mexico-domiciled trucks access to U.S. highways beyond the 20-mile commercial zone they are currently bound by.

The provisions ordered the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to obey a number of safety and administrative requirements. At the time, Congress also mandated that the DOT’s inspector general review the program.

The FMCSA says the pilot will not proceed until the IG has approved the agency’s amendments and reports to Congress. Furthermore, the program will only get underway when Mexican authorities approve similar reciprocity for U.S. trucks entering the Mexican market.

Not surprisingly, groups long opposed to the plan voiced their criticisms of the DOT’s announcement.

“It’s outrageous that the Bush administration would announce on a Friday during Congress’ August recess that it plans to recklessly move forward with its hugely unpopular program to throw open our border to unsafe Mexican trucks,” said Teamsters President Jim Hoffa.??The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) also expressed disappointment. “We are gravely concerned, but not surprised by the Administration’s announcement,” said Todd Spencer, executive vice-president of OOIDA. “They are determined to open our highways to Mexico-domiciled trucking companies and truck drivers regardless of the concerns that have been raised by Congress and the American people.”

FMCSA said that the vast majority of comments it received were submissions by individuals no more than a few sentences, stated only that that the demonstration project should be abandoned.

— with files from Bloomberg