News Release

St. Paul, Minn.-Allowable winter highway load increases on public highways in the Twin Cities metro and south frost zones will begin at 12:01 a.m. on January 7, the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced.

The southeast zone, the remaining zone where limits have not increased, is being monitored by Mn/DOT officials.

State law allows a 10 percent weight increase on all state highways and nine-ton capacity county roads in the designated zones. Truckers, however, need a permit when operating on interstate highway routes.

The boundaries of the south frost zone extend from the Iowa state line north to and including Hwy 12 from the South Dakota state line eastward to the Hennepin County line. The Twin Cities metro zone includes Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties.

Mn/DOT permits load increases when pavements gain strength from the colder temperatures. The first winter load limits for this season started in the north zone on Dec. 18.

More information about winter load limits and frost zones can be found at: www.mrr.dot.state.mn.us or by calling 651/406-4701 or toll-free at 800/723-6543.

Traveler information, including incident reports, is available by calling 511 or logging on to www.511mn.org. Know the Road. Dialup or log on.

Work Zones. Pay Attention or Pay the Price.