As the winter season begins to wind down, one of the sure signs of spring is here, the launching of annual spring weight restrictions on Island roads.
Spring weight restrictions are implemented annually as a precaution against damage to the provincial road network and to prevent against excessive damage from heavy vehicle traffic in the spring when the road network is most vulnerable to damage.
The typical sub-base for Island roads has silty sand properties which increase the potential for poor drainage. In both a dry or frozen state, the sub-base is relatively strong and supports normal traffic loads. Typically, freezing and thawing cycles during the winter and spring weaken the strength of Island roads considerably by expansion and water saturation, prompting spring weight restrictions to minimize damage.
"The benefit of spring weight restrictions is to protect the province from incurring excessive maintenance costs and assist in the ongoing effort to deliver a safe, efficient transportation network for the movement of people, goods and services in a fiscally and environmentally sustainable manner. The cost of not doing these measures is an accelerated decline in the quality of our road network," says Transportation and Public Works Minister Don MacKinnon.
Transportation and Public Works staff work closely annually with their regional counterparts and local industry to increase the effectiveness of the spring weight restrictions. Many haulers plan their spring traffic routes in conjunction with the department to ensure an orderly transition.
The key, however, is enforcement. With a limited amount of resources to work with, the Department's Highway Safety Operations work hard to stretch available resources as far as possible to get the job done.
"We just can't be everywhere at once when it comes to enforcement. However, this year the department will be increasing the level of enforcement province wide to further demonstrate that non-compliance with spring weight restrictions is a serious matter and has consequences," said MacKinnon.
Enforcement coverage will be enhanced this year with staff from the Department of Transportation and Public Works Maintenance Division complementing existing Highway Safety resources province wide. Non-compliance with spring weight restrictions can carry a fine of up to $2000.