Thaw period – Official and predicted dates

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Ministère reminds users of heavy vehicles and shippers that the authorized load limits are reduced during the thaw period on all public roads. This is done every year to account for the road network’s lower bearing capacity during this period.

For the thaw period of 2023, the official and predicted dates of the load restriction period for each of the thaw zones are indicated below.

Official dates for 2023​​​

Zone 1​

  • From Monday, March 20 (00:01) to Friday, May 19 (23:59)

Predicted dates for 2023

Zone 2​​

  • From Monday, March 27 (00:01) to Friday, May 26 (23:59)

Zone 3​

  • From Monday, April 3 (00:01) to Friday, June 2 (23:59)

Depending on changes in weather conditions, the start and end of the load restriction period can be moved ahead or postponed.