Half-Load Season: What is it and how does it impact your building project?

Posted by KLC in Blog

If you grew up in the Kawarthas, chances are you are familiar with half-load season. However, for many of our clients who are not local to the region the concept of half-loads is not common knowledge and it can be difficult for them to understand why a project could be slowed down as spring approaches.

A township will place “half-load restrictions” on certain rural roads during the spring thaw. When a half-load restriction is in place, it means that vehicles over a certain weight class are not permitted to use the road (passenger vehicles are exempt from these restrictions). This includes larger vehicles like dump trucks, delivery trucks, concrete trucks, excavators and bulldozers.

The reasoning behind the restrictions is that in the spring, frost leaves the ground. As moisture comes out of the road bed, the road becomes weaker. Heavy loads can cause the road to sink and break apart, which can lead to permanent damage. Most rural roads aren’t built to handle the pressures of these heavy loads so to avoid rebuilding after every spring thaw, which would cost a lot of money in taxpayer’s dollars, townships impose restrictions to give the roads time to properly shed the frost.

As with anything Mother Nature related, the time period of half load season varies from year to year and there is no standard length. The restrictions are placed on the roads when the supervisor of the roads in the area deems that the roads need to be protected and will only come off when they feel that it is safe to drive on them again without major damage to the road and the road bed.

At KLC, we anticipate delays half-load restrictions may impose on our active building projects and plan accordingly. Because we work closely with our local townships to determine where the restrictions are in effect, we know how to plan around them. We make it our priority to stay in the know of current legislation and half-load rulings that apply to Peterborough County which allows us to deliver our projects on schedule.

If you are considering a custom build or renovation and would like to learn more about how to best equip yourself for a successful project (regardless of the time of year!) please do not hesitate to get in touch with us through the contact form on our website or call 705-652-5241.