Vehicle weight restrictions coming Monday
Provincial government announces guidelines for heavy truck traffic during spring period
Weight restrictions for heavy trucks are coming into effect early Monday to prevent damage to New Brunswick roads, says the provincial Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.
In a news release issued Thursday, the department announced spring weight restrictions for truck traffic will come into effect at 12:01 a.m. March 10 in southern New Brunswick, and a week later at 12:01 a.m. March 17 for northern areas of the province.
They’ll remain in place, it said, until May 11 in the south and May 18 in the north.
“Weight limits are implemented every spring in order to protect our road infrastructure from damage during the annual frost-and-thaw cycle,” Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Chuck Chiasson said in the release.
“This is an annual notice to the trucking community so they may prepare to reduce their loads or plan for alternate routes during this period.”
The department determines the length of the restriction period by keeping tabs on weather conditions, tracking how the spring thaw progresses and using sensors located around New Brunswick.
Because it’s an ongoing process, the release said, the dates announced Thursday are subject to change.
For clarity, the department noted the following roads fall under the category of northern New Brunswick routes:
all areas within the counties of Northumberland, Gloucester, Restigouche, Madawaska and Victoria;
the portion of Route 108 within York County; portions of Gordon Vale Road and Holtville Road within York County;
the portion of Route 123 within Sunbury County and Queens County;
the portion of Bloomfield Ridge Road between Holtville Road and Route 625;
and the portion of Route 625 between Gordon Vale Road and Route 8.
More details on the restrictions and route information are available online.
The Fredericton Independent can be reached at ftonindependent@gmail.com.