(KNSI) – Seasonal road restrictions are set to be lifted in Stearns and Benton Counties after a little over a month in effect.
Both counties are in the central zone, as determined by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. When the limits are in place, truck weights are curbed to at most five tons per axle on dirt or gravel roads and ten tons on paved streets, including highways. On Monday, that jumps to nine tons an axle or up to 80,000 pounds per vehicle.
The restrictions were first put in place on a seasonal basis in the 1930s. It is estimated that 60% of damage to roads in northern states happens during the spring. As frost gradually disappears, the ground near the surface has a high water content. This can make it unstable, leading to road buckles.
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