Institute for Transportation

About the research

In seasonal frost areas, some state departments of transportation (DOTs) take advantage of the period of higher strength in midwinter by using winter weight premiums (WWPs) to increase the allowable weight that trucks can haul. Conversely, to reduce damage during the spring thaw, many road management agencies apply spring load restrictions (SLRs). The objective of this effort was to provide an understanding of the reliability, benefits, costs, and risks of alternate approaches to scheduling seasonal load restrictions on roadways.