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
editReferences
edit- ^
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) - ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation (2007), Springtime posted roads (state numbered highways only), archived from the original on 2010-05-27, retrieved 2010-03-28
- ^ 2009 Minnesota Statutes (2009), 169.87 Seasonal Load Restriction; Route Designation., retrieved 2010-03-29
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Transports Quebec (2010), Québec Pavement Story, archived from the original on 2011-07-16, retrieved 2010-03-21
- ^ Van Buren County Community Center (2010), Seasonal Weight Restrictions, archived from the original on 2010-11-29, retrieved 2010-03-28
- ^
2009 Minnesota Statutes (2009), 169.826 Gross Weight Seasonal Increases., retrieved 2010-03-29
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)