Spring weight restrictions expanding Thursday
MICHIGAN — The Michigan Department of Transportation announced that they will be enacting additional annual spring weight restrictions to protect roads beginning on Thursday, March 1st.
The restrictions will go into effect at 6:00 a.m. that day and will impact all state trunkline highways from the Michigan/Indiana and Michigan/Ohio state lines north to US-2 from the intersection of M-95 in Dickinson County east to I-75 in St. Ignace. Those intersections are included in the restrictions. State routes typically carry M, I or US designations.
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.
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 HERE. All-season routes are designated in green and gold on the MDOT Truck Operators Map, which is available online.
Trucking companies located in New Jersey and Canada can obtain information by calling (517) 373-6256.