Lake County begins lifting spring road load restrictions Friday

Most of Lake County’s spring road load restrictions came off Friday, but nine roads stayed posted, keeping heavier hauling off some of the county’s most vulnerable stretches. The county said restrictions were lifted for county highways, roads and unorganized territory roads beginning May 14, while Cramer Road, Highway 3, Gun Club Road, Fors Road, Drummond Grade, Old Drummond Road, Westover Road, Moen Road and Highland Lake Road remained restricted.

Lake County said it expected the remaining limits to come off before June, a sign that the road base was still recovering unevenly from spring thaw. For logging trucks, construction supply haulers, farm equipment and local delivery operations, the change meant some routes reopened to heavier traffic, but not every load could move everywhere yet. Drivers on the posted roads still had to follow the signs, and Lake County made clear that the sign on the roadway controlled the legal limit.

The county’s seasonal rules also spell out who can keep moving during load restriction periods. Highway maintenance vehicles, school buses and emergency public utility vehicles are exempt. Refuse trucks may exceed the restriction by two tons per axle, but they cannot exceed nine tons per axle overall. Unposted roads are limited to five tons per axle, and enforcement is handled by the Lake County Sheriff’s Department.

Lake County posts spring road restrictions each year under Minnesota Statutes 169.87, and the county’s road-restrictions page says the ending date depends on roadway strength. MnDOT’s seasonal load-limit guidance says start and end dates come with at least three days’ advance notice and begin at 12:01 a.m. Lake County’s load-limit maps also warn that restrictions can change without notice, which is why haulers often check signage before sending loaded trucks onto county routes.

The pattern has become a familiar one for Lake County. A comparable spring restriction notice in 2025 ended most limits on May 12 at 12:01 a.m., with several of the same roads still posted. This year’s partial lift follows the same seasonal cycle: as temperatures rise and roads dry out, the county opens more of the network, but keeps the weakest corridors protected until the ground can handle heavier traffic.