Sunapee to lift posted road restrictions Friday after mud season ends

Contractors, delivery drivers and property owners hauling fuel, gravel or heavy equipment in Sunapee will be able to use posted roads without a permit starting Friday, April 17. Until then, a valid permit is still required through Thursday, April 16, as the town finishes out mud season on roads that are still vulnerable to damage.

The Town of Sunapee Highway Department posted the update on April 13 and thanked residents for cooperating during the spring restriction period. The seasonal limits are meant to protect softened roadbeds, where heavy vehicles can leave potholes, rutting and other damage that leads to costly repairs later. For anyone moving construction materials, making business deliveries or scheduling heavier trips around town, the deadline gives a clear cutoff: permits remain in force one more day, then normal travel resumes on the posted roads Friday.

Questions about the restrictions can be directed to Jenn McClaine, the Highway Business Manager, at 603-763-5060, option 1. Sunapee also said it updated its permit process through OpenGov in 2024, part of an effort to make requests to travel on posted roads easier to handle during the spring posting season.

The April 17 lifting date comes earlier than the town’s original rough estimate. Sunapee had scheduled all town roads to be posted on March 10, 2026, and initially expected the restrictions to last until about May 1, depending on road and weather conditions. That timing shows how quickly mud season can change from week to week, especially when frost leaves the ground and road bases lose strength.

Sunapee followed a similar spring pattern in 2024, when posted road restrictions were lifted on April 17 and permits were still required on April 15 and April 16. On the state side, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation says spring load limits are ordered each year on affected highways because warmer weather makes road sections more vulnerable as frost exits the ground. The department says district engineers review roadways individually before posting limits, and on state highways the maximum allowable vehicle weight on posted sections is 30,000 pounds gross weight, or the cumulative tire width in inches multiplied by 300, whichever is less.