Seasonal Load Limits
Spring Time
Spring is coming which will make pulling a trailer easier, with less concern for road conditions and inclement weather. But did you know that many states have springtime road restrictions? The Spring load restrictions are now in effect across the state of Minnesota.
What are the current road limits and end dates?
Road restriction maps indicating the locations of weight-restricted routes and the roads and highways that are open to maximum weights can be found on the MNDOT website. The ending dates for Spring Load Restrictions are based on how the weather is affecting the roadway strength. The ending dates for the Spring Load Restriction vary, but when roads are stable enough, the weight restrictions are lifted.Why is Spring Time Road Restrictions Necessary?
Pavement base structures can be vulnerable in the spring. Over the winter, the roads can take a beating and the temperature changes make the pavement weakened.
3 Factors in Determining Load Restrictions
What’s the temperature in the base layers of the pavement sections? As temperatures warm up, many State DOT’s (Departments of Transportation) start planning the posting of highways that have sections that may not have the strength for the transportation of heavy loads.- What’s the long-range temperature forecast? When the long-range forecasts indicate temperatures approaching the freezing point, with daily highs from ’30s-’40s, load restrictions are planned.
- What is the Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD)? The special equipment measures the strength of roadway bases and asphalt pavement surfaces to evaluate pavement strength. This information, combined with the long-range weather forces and wide-area moisture conditions is all taken into consideration before lifting load restrictions.
Can I get an overweight permit?
There are full-summer overweight permits, middle-range permits, and up to full-summer permits that can be issued. Take a look at this link MnDOT for more information.
How do I know when Spring Road Restrictions are lifted?
As soon as a date is set, MnDOT will report this date on its 24-hour automated message center at 1-800-723-6543 for the USA and Canada, and locally at 651-366-5400 for the Minneapolis/St Paul area. You can also visit the MnDOT Seasonal Load Limits website.
The DOT website has been Changed, It is not as good as it was, It say’s to Check on Seasonal Restrictions and when you go there you get nothing about the restrictions. Thank you Duane Ritter
Thank you, Duane, for notifying us of this change. We have fixed the page link and now it is functional.
Thanks, Felling Trailers, inc.
That’s because it’s not called restrictions. it’s called seasonal load limits, there are increases and decreases and times when it’s neither, a person should learn this if they have anything to do with it. You also have the wrong links on your page here. The new page is at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/materials/pvmtdesign/sll/index.html but all they do is set the dates. Weight information is either State Patrol for legal weight questions or Freight and Commercial vehicles for permits and overweight questions. So the info on this page is not complete. go to the MnDOT site go to the A-Z go to “SEASONAL LOAD LIMITS” you will see dates, click on weight info for the contacts for weights and permits. Please fix your site.
Hello Anne,
We have made the updates to the page links on this blog post. Unfortunately with time, websites do make updates and changes page content. Thank you for sharing the information so that the content on our site can be more accurate.
Thanks Much,
Felling Trailers