"All starting and ending dates begin at 12:01 a.m. and are preceded by at least a three-day advance notice."
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Status | ACTIVE WLI in effect for North (ends Mar. 20, 2026), North-Central (ends Mar. 18, 2026), Central (ends Mar. 6, 2026), and Metro (ends Mar. 3, 2026). South and Southeast WLI ended Feb. 24, 2026 those zones transition to Spring Load Restrictions Mar. 3, 2026. No zone is yet under SLR as of Feb. 25, 2026. |
| Status Timestamp | 2026-02-25 at 00:00:00 UTC |
| Coverage | State and federal trunk highways only. County roads: visit MnDOT County Weight Information. City streets: contact the city directly. |
| Effective Dates | WLI season: Dec. 12, 2025 (earliest start) through Mar. 20, 2026 (final WLI end). SLR season: Mar. 3, 2026 (earliest start) through May 15, 2026 (final SLR end). See zone tables below for full per-zone breakdown. |
| Weight Limits | Specific axle and gross weight limits not published on source page. Verify at MnDOT Weight Info page. |
| Key Roads | All Minnesota state trunk highways and federal trunk highways statewide. |
| Exemptions | Middle-Range Overweight Permits available zone-by-zone as SLR ends: Metro/South/Southeast Apr. 20, 2026; Central May 1, 2026; North-Central May 13, 2026; North May 15, 2026. Full-Summer Overweight Permits: Metro/South/Southeast May 8, 2026; Central May 15, 2026; North/North-Central Jun. 1, 2026. Confirm current availability with MnDOT before dispatching under permit. |
| Penalties | Not specified |
| Contact | Phone: 651-366-5400 or toll-free 1-800-723-6543 | Email alerts: Subscribe via GovDelivery | Office: 395 John Ireland Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55155-1800 | Web: dot.state.mn.us/loadlimits |
| Primary Status Source URL | https://www.dot.state.mn.us/loadlimits/ |
Winter Load Increase (WLI) Dates by Zone 20252026 Season
| Zone | WLI Start | WLI End | Status as of Feb. 25, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | Dec. 12, 2025 | Mar. 20, 2026 | Active |
| North-Central | Dec. 12, 2025 | Mar. 18, 2026 | Active |
| Central | Dec. 16, 2025 | Mar. 6, 2026 | Active |
| Metro | Dec. 16, 2025 | Mar. 3, 2026 | Active |
| South | Dec. 29, 2025 | Feb. 24, 2026 | Ended SLR begins Mar. 3, 2026 |
| Southeast | Dec. 29, 2025 | Feb. 24, 2026 | Ended SLR begins Mar. 3, 2026 |
Spring Load Restriction (SLR) and Permit Dates by Zone 2026
| Zone | SLR Start | SLR End | Middle-Range Permits Available | Full-Summer Permits Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro | Mar. 3, 2026 | Apr. 20, 2026 | Apr. 20, 2026 | May 8, 2026 |
| South | Mar. 3, 2026 | Apr. 20, 2026 | Apr. 20, 2026 | May 8, 2026 |
| Southeast | Mar. 3, 2026 | Apr. 20, 2026 | Apr. 20, 2026 | May 8, 2026 |
| Central | Mar. 6, 2026 | May 1, 2026 | May 1, 2026 | May 15, 2026 |
| North-Central | Mar. 18, 2026 | May 13, 2026 | May 13, 2026 | Jun. 1, 2026 |
| North | Mar. 20, 2026 | May 15, 2026 | May 15, 2026 | Jun. 1, 2026 |
What This Means for Dispatch
- WLI is still active in four zones as of Feb. 25, 2026: North, North-Central, Central, and Metro. All state and federal trunk highways in those zones are operating under Winter Load Increase conditions.
- South and Southeast WLI ended Feb. 24, 2026 one day before the status timestamp. These zones are in a gap period; Spring Load Restrictions for South and Southeast do not begin until Mar. 3, 2026.
- Metro WLI ends Mar. 3, 2026 SLR begins in Metro the same day at 12:01 a.m.
- Central WLI ends Mar. 6, 2026 SLR begins in Central the same day at 12:01 a.m.
- North-Central WLI ends Mar. 18, 2026 SLR begins in North-Central the same day at 12:01 a.m.
- North WLI ends Mar. 20, 2026 SLR begins in North the same day at 12:01 a.m.
- No zone is yet under Spring Load Restrictions as of the Feb. 25, 2026 status timestamp. The earliest SLR start is Mar. 3, 2026 (Metro, South, Southeast).
- All date transitions begin at 12:01 a.m. MnDOT provides at least three calendar days advance notice before any date change build that lead time into your dispatch planning.
- Middle-Range and Full-Summer Overweight Permits become available zone-by-zone as SLR ends. Earliest Middle-Range availability: Apr. 20, 2026 (Metro/South/Southeast). Earliest Full-Summer availability: May 8, 2026 (Metro/South/Southeast). Latest Full-Summer availability: Jun. 1, 2026 (North/North-Central).
- Axle and gross weight limits during WLI and SLR are not published on the main load limits page verify at the MnDOT Weight Info page.
- Sign up for email restriction change alerts via GovDelivery to receive advance notice of all end dates and permit availability windows.
Coverage Scope
MnDOT states: "We provide information about load limits on state and federal trunk highways. For information about load limits on county roads, visit County Weight Information. For city streets contact the city." This article covers state and federal trunk highways only. Do not apply these restrictions to county roads, city streets, or township roads without consulting the appropriate local authority.
Data sourced from: Minnesota Department of Transportation Seasonal Load Limits. Status confirmed: 2026-02-25 at 00:00:00 UTC. for restriction status, zone dates, coverage scope, and contact information. Axle and gross weight limits are not published on the source page verify at MnDOT Weight Info. Published by oversize.io.
