Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea announced today that Spring Weight Restrictions will be lifted on all Island roads effective immediately.
“Spring Weight Restrictions are an important tool that we use each year to help prevent excessive road damage during spring thaw,” said Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea as she made the announcement in the Provincial Legislature.
Spring Weight Restrictions have been a long running practice with the objective of protecting Island roads from undue damage caused during the spring thaw. Each year during spring thaw, freezing and thawing cycles occur which weaken Island roads, making the road beds vulnerable to damage when excessive weights are applied over them. In order to address this challenge weight restrictions are put in place by the province.
Shea also advised that all weight tolerances will remain off for the time being until further testing indicates that roads have regained their full strength.
The Department of Transportation and Public Works is quite active during this period in managing this process effectively. Staff from the Materials Testing Lab conduct measurement and technical analysis throughout the province to determine when Island roads have regained enough strength to withstand greater weights. Commercial vehicle enforcement officers are also patrolling Island roads during this period, ensuring compliance with the weight restrictions.
Shea noted that the cooperation of Islanders, particularly the trucking industry and farm community, is key to the ongoing success of Spring Weight Restrictions. “Through advanced route planning, increasingly farmers and truckers are working with the department to avoid situations where weight restrictions are exceeded. I would like to thank Islanders for their continued cooperation in this effort,” said Shea.