Seasonal half load restrictions will end on municipal roads in South Dundas Monday, May 13th, 2019.
In Ontario, every year from approximately March 1st to July 15th, municipalities impose what are referred to as half-load, or reduced/seasonal load restrictions on select roadways. While these restrictions are in place, they can severely limit access to a destination for trucks and transports.
‘Half-load restrictions’ are normally placed on select roadways during the spring thaw. When a half-load restriction is in place, it means that vehicles over a certain weight class are not permitted to use the roadway.
Passenger vehicles are exempt from the restriction. Larger vehicles such as dump trucks, delivery trucks, concrete trucks and heavy equipment floats that haul excavators, bulldozers and cranes are included.
This restriction is due to the need to protect the road and the road bed from being permanently damaged.
In the spring, frost comes out of the ground. As moisture comes out of the road bed, the road becomes softer and weaker. Heavy loads can cause the road to sink and break apart, which can lead to permanent damage.
Most rural highways are not built to withstand the pressures of heavy equipment like cranes & boom trucks. Even some of the smallest boom trucks exceed the weight of a road that is subject to a half-load restriction.
To avoid rebuilding after every spring thaw, which would cost a lot of taxpayer dollars, townships impose restrictions to give the roads time to properly shed the frost.
Due to variations in weather patterns, half-load restrictions are different every year and are not set for a specific length of time. A long winter with a lot of snow could make restrictions longer. The general guideline is from March 1st to July 15th, depending on the season and the road conditions in certain locations.