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MARQUETTE -- The Marquette County Road Commission will begin imposing and enforcing road restrictions at 7 a.m. today.
These seasonal load and speed restrictions have been historically imposed in mid-March and removed in mid-May but have been moved this year due to the unseasonally warm weather.
Peter Duex, managing director of the MCRC, said in an email that the weight restrictions are necessary because road surfaces are not being sufficiently supported by the roadbeds softened by frost melt. He said the current temperature trends causing such melting typically do not occur until late February or March.
Members of the MCRC decide when to impose road restrictions based on frost depths, current road conditions and weather forecasts.
Duex said the MCRC's records, which date back to 1956, show that the earliest the weight restrictions have been imposed was Feb. 17, 1984. That makes this year's restriction date the earliest on record by over two weeks.
"We are hoping that the restrictions will be temporary if the roadbeds freeze again," Duex said. "If this is not the case and the weather stays on the warmer trend, we are hoping that the restrictions can be lifted earlier than usual."
Duex said these restrictions will affect oversize and overweight movements on all county roads and will cause considerable weight reductions on roads without an all-season designation. Loads will be reduced to 65% of a normal legal load when the weight restrictions are in effect.
"We need to place weight restrictions on the roads to protect our infrastructure," Duex said.
To find up-to-date information on Marquette County weight restrictions, call 906-486-4491, option 2. To check the status of weight restrictions throughout Michigan, visit the County Roads Association of Michigan website at www.micountyroads.org.