DOT&PF lifts weight limits on Dalton, Elliott highways; dozens of Interior roads still restricted

Alaska's Department of Transportation and Public Facilities lifted all seasonal weight restrictions Friday on the Elliott and Dalton highways, while major corridors including the Parks, Richardson, Glenn, and Alaska highways returned to summertime permitting. Dozens of roads across the Interior and Copper River basin remain under seasonal load limits.

The change took effect at 8 a.m. Friday. It removes all seasonal weight restrictions from Elliott Highway milepost 0 to 72 and Dalton Highway milepost 0 to 414 until further notice, according to a May 28 public notice from DOT&PF Northern Region M&O Engineer Daniel Adamczak.

Starting Friday at 8 a.m., the Parks Highway MP 163 to 356 (Cantwell to Fairbanks), Richardson Highway MP 0 to 330 (Valdez to Johnson Road), Glenn Highway MP 118 to 189 (Northern Region boundary to Glennallen), Alaska Highway MP 1222 to 1421 (Canadian Border to Delta), and Tok Cutoff MP 0 to 124 (Gakona to Tok) returned to summertime permitting. Truckers can now apply for overweight load permits on these roads by contacting the Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement group at (907) 365-1200.

Other roads in the Northern Region remain under a three-tier restriction system. All other state-maintained roads in the Fairbanks North Star Borough are restricted to 100% of legal axle load with no overloads, except where otherwise restricted. Roads including the Steese Highway MP 21 to 81, Johnson Road MP 0 to 1.5, and all other state-maintained roads in Tazlina, Copper Center, and Glennallen are restricted to 85% of legal axle load with no overloads.

All state-maintained roads in the Healy area, Elliott Highway MP 73 to 150 (Livengood to Manley), Taylor Highway, Edgerton Highway, Lake Louise Road, and several roads in the Delta area are restricted to 75% of legal axle load with no overloads. The Denali Highway, McCarthy Road, Nabesna Road, and all state-maintained roads in Delta unless otherwise restricted are among roads limited to 50% of legal axle load with no overloads.

The restrictions apply to all vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. The Dalton Highway is a 414-mile state route from Livengood to Deadhorse and the Prudhoe Bay oilfields. It serves as the primary freight corridor to North Slope oil operations.

The Commercial Vehicle Enforcement division of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities will enforce the restrictions. Current weight restriction notices are posted online at the DOT&PF Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement website.