Spring weight limits on trucks and other vehicles are coming into effect on certain roads in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

The Nova Scotia transportation department on Thursday announced a maximum weight of 15 tonnes on gravel roads starting at noon Friday (Feb. 24) “until further notice.”

“Unseasonably warm weather is softening gravel roads to the point where weight restrictions are necessary to avoid unsafe road conditions and expensive repairs,” the province said in a release.

In southern New Brunswick, spring weight restrictions for truck traffic come into effect at midnight on Sunday, March 5, and in northern New Brunswick on Sunday, March 12.

Those restrictions are to continue until midnight on May 14 in southern New Brunswick and midnight on May 21 in northern New Brunswick, the province announced Thursday. Further details are available online.

“These weight limits are put in place every spring to ensure that our road infrastructure does not suffer damage during the annual frost and thaw cycle,” Transportation Minister Bill Fraser said.

“We provide this notice to the trucking community so that they may prepare to reduce their loads or plan alternate routes during this period.”

If weather conditions warrant, the province added, district engineers are authorized to close roads to trucks or impose weight restrictions on highways or portions of highways. — AGCanada.com Network