IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County will lift the last of its seasonal road weight restrictions Wednesday morning, officials announced Monday.

The restrictions that remained in place north of M-69 — roughly the northern half of the county — are set to end at 6 a.m. Central time Wednesday, according to a news release from the Dickinson County Road Commission.

The commission has eased the weight restriction in stages over the past few weeks, ending them April 15 on county roads south of U.S. 2 and April 22 south of M-69. These restrictions can prevent larger equipment from accessing certain areas.

The weighmaster surveyed the northern roads this weekend and, despite recent rains, judged them to have dried out enough to lift all restrictions for the season, said Jim Harris, managing director of the Dickinson County Road Commission.

The seasonal restrictions are aimed at reducing potential pavement damage during the spring thaw. These weight limits on local roads usually remain in place longer than for the more well-traveled state highways because county roads are not built to the same standards.

The end of seasonal weight restrictions is coming earlier than the average date in Dickinson County, with some years lingering well into May. In 2023, the restrictions stayed in place south of U.S. 2 until May 10 and north of M-69 until May 20, Harris said.

What was “highly unusual” in 2024 was having to declare the start of seasonal weight limits Jan. 31 due to the region’s warmer winter, making for a much more extended period of restrictions on Dickinson County roads than in the past. The earliest he could find on record before this year was Feb. 18 and a couple times in the final week of February.

He said the weighmaster worked with area industry to accommodate them as much as possible under the circumstances, adding that having a dedicated weighmaster helped in the process.

“We just really appreciate everyone’s understanding of getting through these longer restrictions,” Harris said.