Road restrictions begin Monday in Mat-Su, around the state

WASILLA — Breakup is Southcentral is here and that means the annual implementation of road restrictions. The Mat-Su Borough and state have set the same start date — April 10.

Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities announced Friday that restrictions for both the central and northern regions. The borough will begin enforcing them at midnight, the state at 8 a.m.

In the Mat-Su, borough-maintained roads have the following weight restrictions until further notice — core area and northern areas. The Mat-Su core area extends to the Little Susitna River Bridge on the Parks Highway, the northern area encompasses all areas north of there. Both have limits at 50 percent legal axle load.

Borough officials noted its restrictions also may be enforced on city-maintained roads of Houston, Palmer and Wasilla. Questions can be directed to those city public works departments for clarifications. Borough officials note that state weight restriction exemptions also apply to Mat-Su roads and that emergency restrictions may be applied. Such restrictions, if needed, will be advertised in the Frontiersman and also posted on the borough website at www.matsugov.us.

On state-maintained roadways, the breakdown is central and northern regions.

The Central Region boundaries extend from Homer on the Sterling Highway and Seward on the Seward Highway to Mile 118 on the Glenn Highway and Mile 163 on the Parks Highway. The Dillingham and Bethel road systems are also included within the Central Region.

Northern Region boundaries extend from Mile 163 Parks Highway north, and from Mile 118 Glenn Highway northeast, and from Valdez on the Richardson Highway north to Fairbanks. Road systems within Cordova and Nome are also within the Northern Region.

Unless noted, restrictions are 100 percent with no overloads. Exceptions include: Parks Highway MP 0 to 88 – 100% (no overloads); Parks Highway MP 88 to 123 – 85 percent; Parks Highway MP 123 to 163 – 100 percent (no overloads). All State maintained gravel roads in the Kenai Peninsula area (south of Portage Glacier Highway) – 50 percent. All State maintained paved roads in the Kenai Peninsula area (south of Portage Glacier Highway) – 75 percent.

State officials stipulate until further notice, no seasonal vehicle weight restrictions will apply to the Elliott Highway: MP 0 to 72, or to the Dalton Highway: MP 0 to 414. Weight restrictions are stated as a percentage of legal allowable weight and shall be applied to the maximum axle loading of 17 AAC 25.013(e).

This season will see the latest onset of restrictions on Parks Highway central region in the last 10 years. Up until 2017, the latest date restrictions went on is April 9 in 2014. The earliest was last year with an enforcement date of March 21. The longest days under restrictions occurred in 2015 at 74, the shortest in 2010 at 32 days. The 10-year average is 54 days.

Ten-year statistics for the Glenn Highway saw the same March 21, 2016, date for the earliest start and April 13, 2009, for the latest. The longest stretch of restrictions occurred in 2016 at 77 days, the shortest in 2010 at 49 days. The 10-year average is 60 days.

The latest and most up-to-date road restriction information is available at www.dot.state.ak.us/mscve/index.cfm?go=mscve.weightrestrictions&CFID=1228123&CFTOKEN=92131721. In addition to state notices, the page has links to Mat-Su Borough and Municipality of Anchorage sites.