South Dakota Department of Transportation Release
Under the authority of SDCL 32-22-24, Highway Maintaining Authorities may restrict loads anytime between February 15 to April 30 to protect their highways from break-up during the spring thaw.
“To prevent roadway damage and preserve our critical infrastructure, it can become necessary to temporarily restrict loads this time of the year,” said Craig Smith, Director of Operations.
To avoid imposing Spring Load Restrictions earlier or longer than necessary, the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) monitors daily high and low temperatures at locations throughout the state and calculates accumulated freeze and thaw indexes. SDDOT also relies heavily on observed highway conditions and the experience of its field personnel to decide when to impose and remove load restrictions.
Each spring, a map of state-proposed spring load restrictions and a list of county roads are posted on the South Dakota Truck Info website at https://sdtruckinfo.sd.gov/rules-regulations/size-weight-regulations/spring-load-restrictions/ and on the SDDOT’s 511 website at https://www.sd511.org. On the SD511 site, click on Traffic Notices then CVO Restrictions to see restrictions placed into effect.
When restrictions go into effect, a notice will be sent out via press release and posted on the spring load restriction page of the South Dakota Truck Info website.
SDDOT personnel remind motorists that County road posted load limits are not determined or enforced by the State. Please use the county information provided on the South Dakota Truck Info website to contact the county superintendent for questions or concerns.
For more information, contact Dan Varilek, Winter Maintenance Specialist, at 605-773-3571 or by email at daniel.varilek@state.sd.us.