Frost law

Frost laws are seasonal restrictions on traffic weight limits and speeds on roadways subject to thaw weakening.

In climates that experience below-freezing temperatures, damage to roads from thaw-weakening have led to many US states, Canadian provinces^[1] and other jurisdictions to enact laws that restrict vehicle loads during spring months, when road structures are thawing from above in a manner that limits water from escaping the soil structure, thereby weakening the pavement underpinnings.^{[2] [3] [4]} The US state of Michigan, for example, during the months of March, April and May reduce legal axle weights of vehicles by up to 35%. Some areas also require heavy vehicles to travel a maximum of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h), regardless of the posted limit.^[5] Some states allow load increases on roads during the freezing season.^[6]

See also

• Frost heaving

References

1. Canadian Strategic Highway Research Program (C-SHRP) (September 2000), Seasonal Restrictions in Canada and around the World (PDF), vol. C-SHRP Technical Brief #21, Ottawa, Ontario, p. 8, ISBN 1-55187-059-2{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
2. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (2007), Springtime posted roads (state numbered highways only), archived from the original on 2010-05-27, retrieved 2010-03-28
3. 2009 Minnesota Statutes (2009), 169.87 Seasonal Load Restriction; Route Designation., retrieved 2010-03-29{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
4. Transports Quebec (2010), Québec Pavement Story, archived from the original on 2011-07-16, retrieved 2010-03-21
5. Van Buren County Community Center (2010), Seasonal Weight Restrictions, archived from the original on 2010-11-29, retrieved 2010-03-28
6. 2009 Minnesota Statutes (2009), 169.826 Gross Weight Seasonal Increases., retrieved 2010-03-29{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

• Michigan State Police press release on Frost Laws