New Brunswick is preparing to roll out season weight restrictions, with those in the southern areas of the province to take effect at midnight on Feb. 28. Northern areas will see restrictions applied on March 7.

The restrictions are scheduled to continue until May 16 in the southern areas, and May 23 in northern New Brunswick. But the exact duration is determined by monitoring weather conditions and using sensors to track the progress of the thaw.

District engineers are authorized to close routes to trucks or impose weight restrictions on highways at any time, based on weather conditions.

All the province’s highways are assigned ratings of 100%, 90%, or 80% during this period. The percentages are applied to the maximum allowable axle load in each axle group other than the steer axle.

Legal axle configurations can be found under Schedule A of the New Brunswick Vehicle Mass and Dimension Regulation 2001-67.

For the purpose of these restrictions, northern New Brunswick includes:

• all areas within the counties of Northumberland, Gloucester, Restigouche, Madawaska and Victoria;
• the portion of Route 108 within York County;
• the portion 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.

Special move permits can be requested for moving loads that exceed the gross vehicle weight as long as the vehicle is transporting indivisible, single-piece loads that comply with restricted axle loads.

“Seasonal weight limits allow us to protect our infrastructure during freeze-thaw cycles,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Jill Green. “We appreciate our industry partners’ patience and co-operation in reducing loads and planning alternate routes during this period.”