Thaw period – Official 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 20th (00:01) to Friday, April 28th (23:59)

Zone 2​​​

  • From Monday, March 27th (00:01) to Friday, May 19th (23:59)

Zone 3​

  • From Monday, April 17th (00:01) to Friday, May 26​th ​(23:59)

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