Every spring, northern states and provinces impose weight restrictions on roads as frost leaves the ground. The pavement is weakest during thaw, and unrestricted heavy loads cause millions in damage.
The problem: every state publishes restrictions differently, with different dates, formats, and geographic references. Fleet operators check each state manually.
Road511 normalizes spring load limits from MN, WI, MI, ON, QC, and NS into one API with polyline geometry and active date ranges.
The Data
curl "https://api.road511.com/api/v1/features?type=weight_restrictions&jurisdiction=MN" \
-H "X-API-Key: your_key"
{
"data": [
{
"id": "mn-wr-zone3-seg12",
"jurisdiction": "MN",
"feature_type": "weight_restrictions",
"name": "CSAH 5 - Frost Zone 3",
"start_time": "2026-03-10T00:00:00Z",
"end_time": "2026-05-15T00:00:00Z",
"properties": {
"restriction_type": "seasonal_weight",
"weight_limit_tons": 5,
"frost_zone": "Zone 3",
"from_location": "TH 10",
"to_location": "CSAH 12"
}
}
]
}
Each restriction has:
- Polyline geometry — the exact road segment, not just a point
- Start/end dates — when the restriction is active
- Weight limit — in tons (MN), as a percentage reduction (MI), or by road class (WI)
- Location description — from/to landmarks
Coverage
| State/Province | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | Spring load limits | ~26 segments with ton limits by frost zone |
| Wisconsin | Class II + Posted | 148 restricted highways + 19 posted roads |
| Michigan | Truck Operator Route Map | ~1,757 segments with 25-35% weight reductions |
| Ontario | Spring load limits | 143 polyline segments |
| Quebec | Trucking network restrictions | Province-wide route restrictions |
| Nova Scotia | Spring weight restrictions | 8,599 restricted segments |
Corridor Check
Use the truck corridor endpoint to check if a planned route crosses any active restrictions:
curl "https://api.road511.com/api/v1/truck/corridor?from_lat=44.98&from_lng=-93.27&to_lat=46.87&to_lng=-96.77&buffer_km=10&weight=30" \
-H "X-API-Key: your_key"
Minneapolis to Fargo — returns every weight restriction along the corridor that your 30-ton load would violate.
Historical Tracking
Road511 tracks when restrictions are posted and lifted via feature_history. Over multiple seasons, this data shows:
- When each state typically starts/ends restrictions
- Which zones get restricted first (geographic progression of thaw)
- Year-over-year pattern changes
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