Seasonal Road Bans

Road Bans

Seasonal road bans protect Athabasca County roads from damage by restricting the allowable axle weight for vehicles and the goods they are carrying.

During spring thaw, spring road bans are declared to protect our roads from damage.

The exact dates vary from year to year based on road conditions, but they typically run from March to June.

Note: Domestic water haulers are allowed to carry 80% of their allowable axle weight during spring road bans.

Road Ban Order 04-2026 – Partial Lift Notice is scheduled to go into effect 8:00 a.m., Monday, June 22, 2026. See below.

Road Ban Order

Road Ban Order 04-2026 – Partial Lift Notice is scheduled to go into effect 8:00 a.m., Monday, June 22, 2026.

Exceptions

The following vehicles are exempt from a road ban:

a vehicle in respect of which the combined gross weight of all the axles of the vehicle does not exceed 5000 kilograms,
a school bus as defined in the Use of Highway and Rules of the Road Regulation,
a rubber-tired farm tractor if it is not pulling a trailer,
a vehicle crossing a highway,
a vehicle operated by or on behalf of the Government for the purpose of testing pavement strength,
a vehicle transporting fresh milk and cream, or either of them, from the place where the milk or cream is produced,
a vehicle transporting pregnant mare urine from the place where the urine is produced,
a vehicle transporting eggs from the place where the eggs are produced.

If a road ban is in effect, the following commercial vehicles may carry on the axles on that highway up to 90% of the maximum allowable weight permitted for that axle group:

a vehicle transporting
- bread,
- mail as defined in the Canada Post Corporation Act (Canada),
- heating fuel,
- fertilizer,
a bus, other than a school bus, carrying passengers.

If a road ban is in effect, a commercial vehicle transporting domestic drinking water may carry on the axles on that highway up to 80% of the maximum allowable weight permitted for that axle group.

Exemptions are as per Section 12, subsections 5 and 6 of the Commercial Vehicle Dimension and Weight Regulation, Traffic Safety Act.