South Dakota Frost Laws, Seasonal Load Weight and Speed Restrictions – 2025

2025 Spring Load and Road Restrictions.

https://dot.sd.gov/travelers/of-interest/spring-load-restrictions

State Information

Under SDCL 32-22-24, Highway Maintenance Authorities may restrict loads anytime from February 15 to April 30 to protect their highways from break-up during the spring thaw.

To avoid imposing Spring Load Restrictions earlier or longer than necessary, the South Dakota Department of Transportation monitors daily high and low temperatures at locations throughout the state and calculates accumulated freeze and thaw indexes. SDDOT also relies heavily on observed highway conditions and the experience of its field personnel to decide when to impose and remove load restrictions.

Through its ongoing highway construction program, SDDOT has worked hard to reduce the number of miles that must be load-restricted. The 2025 Summary & Historical Data lists the miles restricted annually since 1970.

A spring load restriction report is usually issued before any significant load restriction change. This report is issued for guidance only and does not take precedence over existing load restrictions.

For further information or a copy of a Spring Load Restriction Map, please contact the DOTT at 605-773-3571. Spring Load Limit Information may also be viewed at https://sd511.org/

The effective date of the load restrictions is determined by weather and road conditions.

South Dakota DOT Spring Load Limits:

http://www.sddot.com/travelers/loadlimits/

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