FREE FIELD TOOL
Spring road restriction lookup
Pick a state and county to see whether the state’s spring road restrictions are in effect there, and who posts the county roads.
Choose a state and county.
The result shows the state highway program status for that county’s zone and the county’s own contact for local roads.
What you’ll need
- The state and every county your haul route crosses
- Whether the route uses state highways, county roads, town roads or city streets
- Your truck’s axle weights, if restrictions are in effect
Reading the result
- In effect: the state shows spring restrictions active in that county’s zone.
- Scheduled: the state has announced dates that haven’t started yet.
- Ended or Not shown as in effect: the state program isn’t active there. County, town and city roads can still be posted.
- Couldn’t confirm: the state data didn’t load, looked incomplete or is out of date. Check the official source before hauling.
This page never shows a road as clear. Even when a state program has ended, a county or town can keep or add its own postings.
Wisconsin runs three programs on state highways: the frozen road declaration, which allows heavier winter loads; Class II spring restrictions; and posted state roads. Minnesota sets winter load increase and spring load restriction dates for six frost zones; spring restrictions apply to the state routes MnDOT has restricted.
Where this goes wrong on site
- Checking only the county you start in. A route that crosses a county or zone line can pick up a different restriction partway. Look up every county on the route.
- Treating a state “ended” as all roads open. In Wisconsin, counties and towns decide when their own roads are posted, separate from WisDOT’s state-highway programs. Minnesota counties do the same for county roads.
- Trusting yesterday’s check. Restrictions can start or end on short notice when the thaw changes. MnDOT announces its dates at least three days ahead; check again the day you haul.
- Ignoring the sign because the map says otherwise. A posted sign on the road governs, whatever any website shows.
Where the information comes from
State status is read live from the public map data behind WisDOT’s seasonal weight restrictions and MnDOT’s seasonal load limits each time you look up. WisDOT’s recorded message is 608-266-8417; MnDOT’s is 651-366-5400.
County zones were matched by laying Census county boundaries over each state’s zone map, adding any zone WisDOT itself tags on a county’s restricted highways. A county split across zones shows each zone.
County contacts come from the WisDOT county highway commissioner directory and Minnesota LTAP county weight information.
Your browser requests the state data directly from the map servers that host it. Your county choice is remembered only in this browser.
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