Allowable winter load limits on highways in the north frost zone will increase up to 10 percent at 12:01 a.m., Monday, Dec. 6, and in the north-central frost zone at 12:01 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 8, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
The north frost zone’s boundaries extend south from the Canadian border to a line following Highways 1, 89, 2, 33 and Interstate 35 at the Carlton-St. Louis county line and then south to the Wisconsin border.
The north-central frost zone’s boundaries extend south from the southern limit of the north zone to a line following U.S. Highway 10 from the North Dakota border east to Motley, Highway 210 east to Brainerd, Highway 18 east to I-35, I-35 south to Highway 48 and then Highway 48 east to the Wisconsin border.
Vehicles will be allowed to operate up to10 percent more than the standard legal maximum loads on unrestricted highways during the winter load increase period. However, trucks must comply with current registration weight laws a nd not exceed registered gross weight limits.
Mn/DOT advises that haulers check with local agencies (cities, counties and townships) prior to increasing any weights on their routes. Signs erected on the roadway govern the load limit in effect.
A winter weight increase permit is required to take advantage of the 10 percent weight increase on interstate highways.
For information about legal weight/size trucking, call the Minnesota Department of Public Safety at 651-405-6171 (select Option 3, Option 3). For information about over legal weight/size heavy haul trucking, call Mn/DOT at 651-296-6000.
Load increases are permitted because pavements achieve increased strength to carry heavier loads when their sub-grades freeze.
Mn/DOT continues to monitor the other frost zones to determine when it can allow additional weight increases.
For the most current information, call Mn/DOT’s automated 24-hour message center at 800-723-6543 for the U. S. and Canada or 651-366-5400 in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
For more information on Mn/DOT’s seasonal load limits, visit http://www.mrr.dot.state.mn.us/research/seasonal_load_limits/sllindex.asp.
