Northern Region roads return to full summer loads Friday

Most state-maintained roads across Alaska's Northern Region return to summertime permitting at 8 a.m. Friday, July 10. The change lifts spring thaw restrictions that had capped how much commercial haulers could carry. Haulers seeking overweight permits can contact the Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement group at (907) 365-1200. The restrictions apply to all vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, and the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement division will enforce them.

The change covers a broad corridor: from Mile 163 of the Parks Highway north, from Mile 118 of the Glenn Highway northeast, and from Valdez north to Fairbanks on the Richardson Highway, plus road systems in Cordova and Nome.

One Road Stays Restricted

Tofty Road, the route into Tanana, stays restricted to 75% of legal axle load with no overloads permitted. For freight carriers supplying that community, the restriction means reduced allowable loads and additional trips compared to full legal weight. Carlile Transportation Systems, which publishes axle-load tables for Alaska customers, notes that a 75% restriction cuts a four-axle load from 50,000 pounds to roughly 37,500 pounds during an already short hauling season.

Two corridors were never restricted. The Elliott Highway from milepost 0 to 72 and the Dalton Highway from milepost 0 to 414 carry no seasonal weight limits and remain at full legal axle loads.

Alaska DOT&PF has said roads lose strength during spring thaw as ground saturates, and that weight limits protect pavements from rutting and structural failure that cost more to repair than the restrictions cost haulers. The department issued earlier 2026 Northern Region notices in April and again in late May, progressively adjusting limits as conditions changed.

Artem Ruppert, the Northern Region maintenance and operations staff engineer who issued the notice, can be reached at (907) 451-5485 or [email protected]. The department said additional restrictions or modifications will be imposed as necessary, with weather and pavement conditions under close watch. Electronic copies of DOT&PF weight restriction notices are available at the department's website under Public Notices: Weight Restrictions.