The ND Department of Transportation has announced that seasonal weight restrictions will be extended to all North Dakota highways south of and including Highway 2 beginning Monday, March 28.

The restrictions, commonly referred to as frost laws, went into effect earlier this month for highways in southern portions of the state. 

The department uses load restrictions to reduce damage to roadways caused by heavy loads at a time of year when highway pavements are most vulnerable as the ground beneath begins to thaw. Weight limits vary depending on the number of axles on a vehicle. Substantial civil penalties that can amount to thousands of dollars are imposed on vehicles that exceed weight restrictions.

Restrictions will be removed when roadbeds are stable enough to carry legal weight traffic without damage based on the following sources of information: temperature probes in the base layers of pavement sections, long range temperature forecasts, and a Falling Weight Deflectometer that measures the strength of roadway bases and the asphalt pavement surface.

Trucking companies can find detailed information on load restriction orders on the NDDOT website.