Michigan to Implement Truck Weight Restrictions This Spring
Posted on Wed, Mar 09, 2011 @ 09:19 AM
On February 18th, Michigan began placing weight restrictions on roads in order to preserve them and reduce wear and tear. In cold-weather states, winter takes a big toll on roads as do larger vehicles that consistently travel throughout Michigan. The restrictions are seasonal and will be in effect every March, April, and May. However, this does not apply to all classes of trucks. There are some limited classes that are exempt from the restrictions after a permit is filed. There are very specific restrictions for each road type and even for each road.
According to MICountyRoads.org, weight restrictions are broken down by road surface, stating, “the maximum axle load allowable on concrete pavements or pavements with a concrete base shall be reduced by 25% from the maximum axle load. The maximum axle loads allowable on all other types of roads during the 3 months shall be reduced by 35% from the maximum axle loads as specified.” A complete, road by road breakdown of restrictions can also be found on the website. The roads are listed by county so it is possible to see if there are and constraints in your county or on your route.
More specifically, the Michigan Department of Transportation release updates on which roads are going to be restricted and when the limit will go into effect. These updates have been coming out fairly often to alert residents and the general public about which counties will experience limitations. The maximum axle load restrictions in each given county will help to preserve the roads of the state of Michigan and also help to improve safety.