The ministère des Transports du Québec reminds heavy vehicle users and shippers that, as each year, authorized load limits are reduced during the spring thaw period in order to take into account the weaker load bearing capacity of the road network during that period.
For the 2013 spring thaw period, the dates the load restrictions start and end in each of the thaw zones are as follows:
Monday, March 11
(12:01 a.m.)
to Friday, May 10
(11:59 p.m.)
Monday, March 18
(12:01 a.m.)
to Friday, May 17
(11:59 p.m.)
Monday, March 25
(12:01 a.m.)
to Friday, May 31
(11:59 p.m.)
The starting and ending dates of the load restriction period may be adjusted depending on weather conditions. The boundaries of the thaw zones are the same as last year.
This zone includes the Québec territory located south of the following line, known as the “demarcation line of zones 1 and 2”:
From the intersection point of the median line of the Ottawa River (Québec-Ontario border) with the extension of the median line of the Schyan River in the Municipality of Sheenboro;
From there, eastward, a straight line to the intersection of the Picanoc River and Highway 105 in Ville de Gracefield;
From there, eastward, a straight line to the intersection of Autoroute 15 and Highway 329 in the Ville de Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts;
From there, northeastern, toward to the intersection of Highway 155 and Highway 159 in the Municipality of paroisse de Saint-Roch-de-Mékinac to the point where it intersects with the north-eastern limit of the Municipality of Mandeville;
From there, southeastward, following the northeastern limit of the Municipality of Mandeville to the point where it intersects with the northwestern limit of the Municipality of paroisse de Saint-Alexis-des-Monts;
From there, northeastern, a straight line to the intersection of the southwestern limit of the Municipality of Rivière-à-Pierre and the northwestern limit of the Municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Montauban;
From there, northeastern, the extension of this line to its intersection with the southwestern limit of the Portneuf wildlife reserve;
From there, in a general eastward direction, following the perimeter of the said wildlife reserve counterclockwise to its intersection with the northwestern limit of Ville de Saint-Raymond;
From there, northeastern, then southeastward and northeastern, following the northwestern and northeastern limits of Ville de Saint-Raymond and then the northwestern limit of the Municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier to its intersection with the southwestern limit of the Laurentides wildlife reserve;
From there, southeastward, and then in a general northeastern direction, following the perimeter of the Laurentides wildlife reserve counterclockwise to its intersection with the western limit of the Jacques-Cartier conservation park;
From there, in general southeastward, northeastern and southeastward directions, following the perimeter of the Jacques-Cartier conservation park counterclockwise to its intersection with the southwestern limit of the Laurentides wildlife reserve;
From there, southeastward, along the southwestern limit of the Laurentides wildlife reserve to its intersection with the southeastern limit of the Highway 175 right-of-way;
From there, southeastward, in a straight line to the intersection of Highway 138 with the northeastern limit of Ville de Beaupré;
From there, southeastward, the extension of this line to its intersection with the median line of the arm of the Saint Lawrence River located north of Île d’Orléans;
From there, in a general northeastern direction, successively following the median line of the said northern arm of the Saint Lawrence River, the median line of the river to the northeastern limit of the Municipality of paroisse de Saint-Germain and then a straight line to the southwestern tip of Île aux Lièvres;
From there, northeastern in a straight line to the intersection of Autoroute 20 with the northeastern limit of Ville de Rivière-du-Loup;
From there, in a general southward direction, following the perimeter of Ville de Rivière-du-Loup clockwise to its intersection with the northeastern limit of the Highway 185 right-of-way;
From there, in a general southeastward direction, following the generally northeastern limit of the Highway 185 right-of-way to its intersection with the New Brunswick border.
Zone 2
Monday, March 18
(12:01 a.m.)
to Friday, May 17
(11:59 p.m.)
This zone includes Îles-de-la-Madeleine and the Québec territory contained between the “demarcation line of zones 1 and 2” heretofore described and the next line, known as the “demarcation line of zones 2 and 3”:
From the intersection point of the parallel of latitude 48o 00’ north and the Ontario border;
• From there, southeastward, in a straight line to the intersection of Highway 101 and the southern limit of Ville de Rouyn-Noranda;
From there, eastward, in a straight line to the Rapide-Sept hydroelectric dam;
From there, eastward, in a straight line to the intersection of Highway 117 with the northern limit of the La Vérendrye wildlife reserve;
From there, eastward, in a straight line to the intersection of Highway 167 with the southern limit of the Ashuapmushuan wildlife reserve;
From there, in a general northeastern direction, following the perimeter of the Ashuapmushuan wildlife reserve counterclockwise to its intersection with the northwestern limit of the Municipality of Saint-Thomas-Didyme;
From there, northeastern, following the northwestern, southwestern, northern and northeastern limits of the Municipality of Saint-Thomas-Didyme, and then successively the generally northwestern limits of the Municipality of Saint-Edmond-les-Plaines, the Municipality of Girardville and the Municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette to its intersection with the northeastern limit of the Municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette;
From there, eastward, in a straight line to the Manic Three hydroelectric dam;
From there, northeastern, in a straight line to a point located on the parallel of latitude 51° 00’ north, 60 meters east of the shore of Lac Caron (intersection of the northern and western limits of the Port-Cartier-Sept-Îles wildlife reserve);
From there, eastward, along the parallel of latitude 51° 00’ north, to a point located 60 meters east of the Sainte-Marguerite River (intersection of the northern and eastern limits of the said reserve);
From there, eastward, in a straight line to the intersection of the parallel of latitude 52° 00’ north with the eastern limit of the Province of Québec, north of the Municipality of Blanc Sablon.
Zone 3
Monday March 25 (12:01 a.m.)
to Friday May 31 (11:59 p.m.)
This zone includes the Québec territory located north of the “demarcation line of zones 2 and 3” heretofore described.
