As the first signs of spring emerge, our thoughts turn to highway pavement. Joking, most people don’t think about spring and road bans but, when ruts and potholes destroy your vehicle, you think about it. While they may not be top of mind for everyone, road bans are crucial for preserving infrastructure and preventing costly damage to vehicles and highways.

Why Do Road Bans Exist?

Road bans have been around for as long as roads themselves. In the past, springtime ruts and mud made roads impassable. Today, municipalities formally regulate road bans to protect highways from damage during the thaw cycle. Alberta, thanks to strong infrastructure investments, during the Premier Lougheed era, has an excellent highway system that requires diligent maintenance.

Here’s what happens during the freeze-thaw cycle:

  1. Winter Freezing: Moisture in the ground freezes and expands, lifting the pavement slightly in a process known as frost heave.
  2. Spring Thaw: As temperatures rise, the top layers of the roadbed thaw, while deeper layers remain frozen, trapping water in the upper layers and weakening the road structure.
  3. Structural Weakness: The saturated roadbed becomes unstable and unable to support heavy loads, making it more susceptible to ruts, potholes, and even complete failure.
  4. Road Bans (Weight Restrictions): To prevent excessive damage, authorities impose temporary weight restrictions on certain roads until they dry out and regain strength.

Carrier Responsibilities & Training

Commercial carriers are legally required to train their drivers on weights and dimensions, including seasonal road bans, Alberta Regulation 314/2002 Section 41(1)(h)(i). While MELT (Mandatory Entry-Level Training) includes some instruction on road bans, it is minimal.

For example, MELT Module 6 in Alberta, provides only two and a half hours of classroom legal weights training, with just one and a half pages covering road bans. Compounding the issue, fraudulent licensing schemes in Ontario mean some drivers never received any training at all. The result? A significant number of undertrained drivers coming to destroy a road near you.

Spring Road Training: What Drivers Must Know

A spring road refresher is essential before bans take effect. Drivers must be aware of:

  1. Legal Weight Limits – Understanding the allowable weight for their truck’s configuration.
  2. Route Planning – Identifying whether their route includes restricted roads. It’s not just provincial highways—cities, towns, and rural municipalities also impose road bans.
  3. Road Ban Signage & Calculations – Recognizing road ban signs and understanding how to calculate permissible weight.

Understanding Road Ban Signs

At intersections of restricted and unrestricted roads, signs display a truck symbol with a percentage below it. This percentage represents the allowable weight on an axle for that road.

Example:

  • The maximum legal weight for a tandem axle is 17,000 kg.
  • If the road is restricted to 65%, the allowable weight is: 17,000 kg × 0.65 = 11,050 kg.

Some exemptions exist for farm commodities and emergencies, but they require permits and approvals from the appropriate authority and highway engineering.

Increased Enforcement & Penalties

Calgary city police have a budget shortfall of 28 million dollars due to the cancellation of the photo speed enforcement on all provincial highways thanks to Minister Dreeshan. Other cities and towns and municipalities are feeling the pinch of lack of funding and reduced revenues. One way to make up these shortfalls is to increase enforcement revenue from other areas and road bans are money makers. Enforcement traps are usually near highways with new restrictions or restrictions that have recently changed. Don’t assume just because it was a 90% ban last year it will be the same this year.

Avoid Costly Fines

Overweight penalties increase exponentially during road ban season. Fines can double compared to the rest of the year, and carriers risk accumulating points on their carrier profiles.

Stay Compliant: Drivers Plan Ahead

  • Know your weight limits.
  • Check your routes before you drive.
  • Verify road ban changes each year.
  • When in doubt, assume you’re overweight and double-check.

By staying informed and proactive, you can avoid hefty fines, protect your vehicles, and help maintain Alberta’s roads for everyone.

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