I’ve been telling everyone for a week now that it’s spring. Mostly they respond by laughing at me, but this confirms it; Spokane County announced today that seasonal weight restrictions will begin within the next couple weeks on county roads.

The presence of water in the roadway structure due to spring thaw threatens to destroy the pavement if it is heavily loaded in this saturated condition. Weight restrictions reduce the need for increased road maintenance and auto repairs later this year.

Seasonal road restrictions are usually in effect for approximately 6 weeks. Effected roads are posted with signs indicating maximum allowable weights. Typically, these restrictions do not apply to the average car or pickup truck. However, commercial and construction vehicles may need to lighten their loads in order to comply with the restrictions.