It seems like there’s an app for everything these days, from quirky games to productivity tools. But the County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan has created an app with an important purpose: preserving Michigan’s roads.

Partnering with the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association (MITA) and the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, CRA recently designed a seasonal weight restrictions app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

Along with a revamped seasonal weight restrictions webpage, the app will allow heavy haulers to be more informed about seasonal weight restrictions, ultimately leading to safer, better roads.

In 2019, CRA met with members of the timber, agriculture, commercial hauling, infrastructure builders and aggregate industries to brainstorm ideas for a seasonal weight restrictions app.

“MITA was happy to partner with CRA and the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association to create this app,” said Rachelle VanDeventer, Vice President of Industry Relations with MITA. “It will be a valuable tool for both companies and individuals during thawing season. It may be a simple concept, but the app will change roads for the better because it is informing users of how they can reduce their loads and speeds, therefore protecting roads from further damage.”

Also known as frost laws, seasonal weight restrictions protect Michigan roads from damage. In the winter, water under the pavement freezes and expands. When it melts in the spring, the surface under the roadbed becomes wet and spongy, making it susceptible to damage. If heavy vehicles drive over fragile spots, breakage occurs, which often causes cracking, potholes, and other damage to roads.

Seasonal weight restrictions allow county road agencies to regulate the speed limit and the amount of weight trucks carry, therefore reducing damage and maintaining roads.

County road agencies can require weight restrictions on roads not designated as “all season,” since seasonal roads are thinner and not designed for trucking year-round.
By law, counties are required to post the date of seasonal weight restrictions and indicate to which roads the restrictions apply. CRA’s new app and updated website go above and beyond in informing the public of seasonal weight restrictions.

The “Michigan County Road Seasonal Weight Restrictions” app is available for both iOS and Android devices. It offers a new color-coded map of counties with weight restrictions enacted and a list of restricted roads by county. App users can also pull permits online and sign up to receive email notifications when counties make updates.

“The new seasonal weight restrictions app provides people with the opportunity to be well-informed about a crucial way we can keep our roads safe,” Denise Donohue, Executive Director of CRA, said. “Technology is an ever-growing field, and this app shows that CRA is a thought leader and innovator in the transportation industry. With this new way of distributing information, businesses across the state can help protect our roads from damage in the upcoming season.”

To support the app’s functions, the team redesigned the seasonal weight restrictions webpage to make it more accessible and user-friendly. Changes to the page include convenient buttons to pull a permit or sign up for notifications, and an easy-to-read scrolling list of counties with details about their seasonal weight restrictions. The page also includes links to view contact information for all county road agencies, so website users can easily find pertinent information for their corresponding county.

The goal of CRA and its partners is to ultimately offer user-friendly, straightforward ways of communicating seasonal weight restrictions to businesses and individuals in Michigan. With the debut of this pro-business seasonal weight restrictions app and the updated website, Michiganders across the state can take another step forward in protecting and preserving our roads.