Road Bans in effect March 8
Effective 1:00 pm on March 8, 2021, the Special Areas Board placed a road ban on municipal oiled, base course, and paved roads throughout the Special Areas. Road bans will be in effect for municipal roads which restricts bus, truck, and trailer traffic to seventy-five percent (75%) of authorized load limits on municipal oiled, base course and paved roads. Gravel roads are restricted to one hundred percent (100%) of authorized limits. There are some exempt roads to these restrictions, with specific local roads being permitted one hundred percent (100%) of authorized load limits. To view current road ban information for the Special Areas, go to https://specialareas.ab.ca/current-bans-advisories/.
Special Areas puts road bans in place each spring on municipal roads to help protect road infrastructure during spring thaw. When the ground thaws, roads are more vulnerable to damage from heavy vehicles. To prevent this, road bans (weight restrictions) are put in place to reduce the maximum weight permitted on roads. These bans typically are put in place in March and can remain in place until June.
“Road bans are critically important to help protect the significant investment made in municipal roads. These weight restrictions, which come into effect on March 8, help reduce the risk of municipal roads getting damaged from heavy loads. When weight restrictions are not complied with, the damages can result in hundreds of thousands of repairs and other costs. We are asking ratepayers who may be impacted by weight restrictions in their area to make sure they are aware of current bans, and to follow them. Our Peace Officers are happy to work directly with producers to answer any questions they have about road bans and their operations.”
Owen Francis., Director of Municipal Services
Fines for overweight loads – loads which exceed weight restrictions – can be significant and vary based on the amount of weight which exceeds maximum allowable levels. Although some vehicles are exempt from road bans, producers are reminded that there is no blanket exemption on agricultural vehicles (i.e. those with farm plates). Producers are encouraged to contact Special Areas Enforcement Services if they have questions about road bans and agricultural vehicles.
