The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) will apply seasonal spring weight restrictions to its non-all-weather roads on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 6 a.m. The restrictions limit the weight trucks can carry on roads and are intended to minimize damage to roads while the ground beneath them thaws.
Anyone wanting an update on the status of the weight restrictions can call RCOC’s weight restrictions hotline at (248) 858-4765. Individuals can also sign up for Spring Weight Restriction notifications on the RCOC website at https://www.rcocweb.org/list.aspx. Subscribers will be notified in advance when the 2026 restrictions will be lifted.
Each year, in accordance with state law, RCOC reduces the weight limits on its non-all-weather roads as temperatures rise and the ground thaws. “As the road subsurface thaws, the road’s ability to carry weight is reduced,” explained RCOC Managing Director Dennis Kolar. “That means a weight that wouldn’t affect the road under normal conditions might now damage the road. These restrictions help to ensure that our roads last as long as possible with as few potholes as possible.”
The restrictions do not affect passenger vehicles but apply to commercial trucks. Weight restrictions are enforced by weighmasters employed by the Road Commission, the state, local communities or the Sheriff’s Department. Violation of the weight restrictions can result in a citation and fine.
David Czerniakowski, director of RCOC’s Department of Customer Services, said the timing of this year’s weight restrictions is typical. “It is usually in February or early March that the ground is thawing, and we must apply the restrictions,” he noted.
Czerniakowski will recommend removing the restrictions once he determines that the soil is no longer saturated and that the frost has thawed. He noted that the weight restrictions affect several industries, including construction, because they limit companies’ ability to move heavy equipment.
“Weight restrictions do not prevent trucks from operating,” Czerniakowski said. “They may still operate on affected roads. They simply must operate with reduced loads on those roads, though the truck's width and length can also be factors.”
A “truck operators’ map” is available from the Road Commission that shows which roads have weight restrictions. The map is available on RCOC’s website at www.rcocweb.org, by calling RCOC’s Customer Services Dept. at (248) 858-4835, or by visiting the department’s offices at the RCOC facility at 2420 Pontiac Lake Road in Waterford Township (office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. weekdays).
A list of the affected roads is also posted on the website.
For a statewide listing of which counties have imposed spring weight restrictions, visit the County Road Association of Michigan (CRA) website, www.micountyroads.org.
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Editor’s note: List of roads with weight restrictions is attached.
