Spring Weight Restrictions

As Islanders dig out from February's snow and brace for March, the Department of Transportation and Public Works is thinking ahead to Spring and would like to remind Islanders that it's time to begin planning for upcoming Spring Weight Restrictions.

Each year Prince Edward Island experiences a spring thaw during which Island roads are more fragile than at other times of the year, making them vulnerable to damage from heavy commercial motor vehicles. During this time, the Department of Transportation and Public Works subjects highway carriers to stricter vehicle load limits in order to protect Island roads. This is supplemented by increased monitoring by the department's commercial vehicle enforcement staff to ensure compliance.

"Spring Weight Restrictions protect our roads from the damage that freezing and thawing cycles cause, like pavement cracking and road breakup. Research done by our Materials Lab shows that a loaded axle on a commercial vehicle can cause between five and eight times more damage in the spring than in other times of the year. That's why it's important to plan your work ahead so that road damage can be reduced as much as possible," says Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea.

Shea observed that better route planning by Islanders has helped contain road damage in recent years and advised that further public notifications of Spring Weight Restrictions would be coming forward in the near future as weather conditions warrant.