NEWS: Annual spring weight restrictions going into effect

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2017 
CONTACT: Dan Weingarten, MDOT Office of Communications, 906-250-4809
                       weingartend@michigan.gov 

  

Annual spring weight restrictions going
into effect to protect Michigan's roads

February 9, 2017 -- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and local agencies are enacting spring weight restrictions, an annual move to protect roads.

            Effective at noon Friday, Feb.10, weight restrictions will be imposed and enforced on all state trunkline highways from the Michigan/Indiana and Michigan/Ohio state line north to and including the entire stretch of I-196 in Allegan County at the US-31 junction in Holland, east to and including M-6, east to and including I-96, east to and including I-69 from Lansing to Port Huron. State routes typically carry M, I, or US designations.

            All travel underway prior to noon on Friday, Feb. 10, may continue until the curfew hour of one half-hour past sunset.

            When roads that have been frozen all winter begin to thaw from the surface downward, melting snow and ice saturate the softened ground. During the spring thaw, the roadbed softened by trapped moisture beneath the pavement makes it more susceptible to damage. It's also the time of year when potholes begin forming due to freeze-thaw cycles.

            In the restricted areas, the following will apply:

            - On routes designated as "all-season" (designated in green and gold on the MDOT Truck Operators Map), there will be no reduction in legal axle weights.

            - On routes designated as "seasonal" (designated in solid or dashed red on the MDOT Truck Operators Map), there will be a posted weight reduction of 25 percent for rigid (concrete) pavements and 35 percent for flexible (asphalt) pavements.

            - All extended permits will be valid for oversize loads in the weight-restricted area on the restricted routes. Single-trip permits will not be issued for any overweight loads or loads exceeding 14 feet in width, 11 axles and 150 feet in overall length on the restricted routes.

            MDOT determines when weight restrictions begin each spring by measuring frost depths along state highways, observing road conditions, and monitoring weather forecasts. Weight restrictions remain in effect until the frost line is deep enough to allow moisture to escape and the roadbeds regain stability.

            County road commissions and city public works departments put in place their own seasonal weight restrictions, which usually, but not always, coincide with state highway weight restrictions. Signs are generally posted to indicate which routes have weight restrictions in effect.

            For weight restriction information and updates, call 800-787-8960, or you can access this information on MDOT's website at www.michigan.gov/truckers, under "Restrictions." All-season routes are designated in green and gold on the MDOT Truck Operators Map, which is available online. You also may sign up to receive e-mail alerts.

            Trucking companies located in New Jersey and Canada can obtain information by calling 517-373-6256.

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