Spring is coming – Road bans start Monday
The Spring of Deception has arrived . . . that time of year when it looks and feels like spring, but it isn’t.
March began on Saturday, and if the adage holds true – in like a lamb, out like a lion – this lovely spring-like weather will be gone by month’s end, and winter’s second coming will appear with a vengeance.
In the meantime, the City of Fort St. John, in a post on their Facebook page this week, has asked for help in keeping flooding to a minimum, with a request for residents to clear the storm drain in front of their homes.
The city urged drivers to carefully negotiate large puddles, as new potholes are “created daily with the freeze/thaw forecasted”. The city also asked that if local flooding is threatening a property to use the Report A Problem form on the city’s website.
Outside the city limits, a sure sign that spring is approaching starts at 10 p.m. on Monday, March 3, when the Road Bans come on.
Officially known as load restrictions, road bans come on every spring to prevent deterioration of the region’s infrastructure as the roads thaw. The load restrictions are in effect daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., in the North Peace with all Provincial Numbered Routes, paved or gravel at 100 percent legal axle loading; and all Provincial Side Roads, paved or gravel at 70 percent legal axle loading.
The Old Fort Road 148 from Howe Pit to the Old Fort Loop 616B is 50 percent legal axle loading, while 20 other routes (see illustration) are at 75 percent legal axle loading.
The Sierra-Yoyo-Desan Road will continue unrestricted from kilometre 8.4 to kilometre 188.
All overload permits on restricted routes are invalid for the duration of these restrictions.