Warming Temps may bring temporary restrictions
information released by Chelan County Public Works
It’s that time of the year again, when the warming temps may bring temporary weight restrictions on county roads. While we don’t have any restrictions yet, freight haulers should be paying attention; notice typically goes out 24 hours in advance of weight restrictions being placed on a roadway.
Seasonal snowmelt and runoff can soften roadways, potentially leading to costly damages. Temporary weight restrictions are put in place annually to protect the roadways from such damage. Only emergency vehicles, school buses or vehicles possessing a special permit issued by the County Engineer are exempt.
New this year, vehicles that have a gross weight of 34,000 pounds or less do not need a special permit. We do ask these drivers to try their best to stay off road shoulders.
The seasonal weight restrictions apply to county roads; they do not impact load-rated bridges. Haulers will still need to verify if any of their proposed routes include a load-restricted bridge and then adhere to the specific restrictions of that structure. Read more about Chelan County’s weight-restricted bridges on our County Bridges webpage.
How will you know if weight restrictions have been put in place on a county road? Though we can’t tell you exactly when the temporary weight restrictions are coming, we do know they are inevitable. We alert the public in a variety of ways:
- Temporary weight restriction signs will be placed on impacted county roadways.
- We update the public via our Public Works emails. Sign up online.
- We will post the information, with frequent updates, on our Traffic Alerts and Restrictions webpage and our Facebook page.
The free permit must be handed in by 10 a.m. Monday through Thursday prior to the day that haulers will travel. (If you must travel on a Monday, the permit must be received by the Thursday prior.)
When restrictions are in place, haulers are encouraged to send the permit application via email (public.works@co.chelan.wa.us) or fax (509-667-6250). Call the office (509-667-6415) if you have questions.
