WASHINGTON — Just because the U.S. government faces the prospect of having a court cancel the controversial Mexican truck pilot project, doesn’t mean it plans to put on the brakes any time soon.

In fact, according to a San Diego Union Tribune report, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration boss John Hill indicated this week that he might extend the program, which allows pre-selected Mexican carriers to transport goods beyond the longstanding 20-mile border restriction zone.

Hill blamed opposition to the program for depressing interest from Mexican truckers. He said many carriers that would qualify under the pilot are reluctant to pay the costs and take on the insurance risk “in light of the uncertainty of whether or not it (the program) is going to continue.”

The FMCSA and its opponents are awaiting a decision from the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco on the legality of the pilot. The Teamsters, Public Citizen and other groups sued the government agency, arguing that it failed to comply with a Congressional order to halt the program.

The government’s defense is that Congress’ bill refers to canceling funds “to establish” a program, and doesn’t apply to the cross-border project already underway.

Hill said that one way to get more carriers involved and collect additional safety data would be to extend the project, which reached the halfway point this week.

The program allows up to 100 carriers from each country to send trucks across the border. But, so far, only 18 Mexican carriers and five U.S. carriers have participated.