When necessary, Lac Ste. County's Public Works department implements road bans on all oiled and chip seal coat roads, including residential subdivisions. They are declared based on weather conditions and frost testing. Road bans are an effective tool for preventing road damage, reducing road maintenance costs and ensuring the roads are safer for all motorists. Some roads in Lac Ste. Anne County are more susceptible to damage than others based on factors like poor drainage and weather conditions.
When a road ban occurs, signs indicating the allowed axle percentages are posted, and the ban is monitored and enforced by Lac Ste. Anne County Enforcement Services to ensure compliance.
The County is responsible for the maintenance and preservation of all municipal roads, highways and bridges within its boundaries that are under its direction, control and management. A vital part of this responsibility is the protection of roadways during the spring thaw. Alberta’s all-season roads (paved or gravel) are quite fragile as frost “comes out of the ground” (melts). The roadbed becomes soft and spongy because water becomes trapped between the road surface and the layer of ice underneath.
The spring thaw can wreak havoc on regional roads when trucks, heavy equipment and heavy trailers travel over a susceptible road, causing irreversible damage, permanent cracks and potholes. This time of year can create serious structural damage to County roads and bridges if appropriate measures are not taken.
Lac Ste. Anne County has a Road Ban Order No. 04-2016 defining Maximum Allowable Weights permitted on certain municipal roads and bridges which came into effect on Thursday, September 16, 2016 and remains in effect today.
The County wishes to remind all travellers that there is a 75% weight restriction on all oiled and chip seal coat roads, including residential subdivisions. Please drive accordingly.
Visit the Alberta Transportation Website for up-to-date road restrictions and seasonal weight changes. For Provincial Highways Road Ban information, call toll free 1.855.ROADBAN (1.855.762.3226).
