Local Road Weight Restrictions Announced for the Western Upper Peninsula

This winter’s unusually warm weather has brought on an early start to the annual spring road weight restrictions in the western upper peninsula. Last night the Houghton County Road Commission announced the start to their local road weight limits in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties. Typically the annual load limitations are instituted in early to mid-March, when thawing frozen ground softens the base underneath roadways.

“And we also do a calculation, that has been in place for many years with the Federal Highway Administration. And it gives us the ability to calculate the thawing index, and when it gets to 10. It’s reccommended that load restrictions be in place on flexible pavements. This particular year was unqiue in that according to the forecast, and we can only be as accurate as the forecast, it was a lot warmer this weekend, than what was anticipated. Now what that means is a truck in the trucking industry and timber industry, they only can haul 65 percent of their normal GDW.” – Kevin Harju, Houghton County Road Commssion

These restrictions limits trucks to 65 percent of their normal load. The restrictions could be temporarily lifted if cold weather returns and stabilizes the road base. The state of Michigan also recently imposed restrictions on state and federal highways in the southern lower peninsula, but has not imposed limits on highways in the northern lower peninsula, or the Upper Peninsula. Please watch for updates with the local road commission for more details or an changes to road load restrictions.