The 2016 thaw period dates in Québec are now confirmed for each of the three zones. Therefore, the 2016 thaw period for the three zones are the following (please note that these dates may change, depending on weather conditions):
- Zone 1: Monday March 14th – Friday May 13
- Zone 2: Monday March 21st – Friday May 27
- Zone 3: Monday March 28th – Friday June 3
During this period, authorized load limits are reduced because the road network load bearing capacity is reduced. Restrictions vary between 8% and 20% according to the vehicle’s type of axles and configuration. For more information, please consult the “thaw zones and periods” page of the of the Ministère des Transports, de la Mobilité durable et de l’Électrification des transports web site. http://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/Pages/default.aspx
You can reach this page by selecting tabs: “Usagers – Véhiucles lourds – Dégel restrictions de charges – Période de dégel” or by clicking the following link (due to the current redesign of the Ministère’s web site, it’s only available in French): https://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/usagers/vehiculelourd/degel/Pages/Periode-de-degel.aspx
