Provincial Highway Vehicle Weight Management Review and New Policy Development in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan economy largely depends on bulk commodity export. Keeping transportation costs low is critical for the competitiveness of the economy. With the changes in provincial economy and transportation patterns, there has been a significant increase in truck traffic and increasing demand for primary weight highways in rural Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan had managed its highways with primary and secondary weight limits over 20 years. Depending on truck configurations, typically the gross vehicle weight allowed for primary weight is approximately 15-20% higher than for secondary weight and the payload increase for primary weight is about 24-50%. Many Saskatchewan rural areas are only served by secondary weight highway, which is viewed as a competitive disadvantage. Higher vehicle weight will reduce freight transportation costs however it will also results in faster deterioration to the pavements. The size and weight of trucks allowed have been increased over the years to reduce transportation costs. The concerns of accelerated infrastructure deterioration and traffic safety are the main constraints for further change. How to improve highway transportation efficiency to support economic development while maintaining infrastructure sustainability has become an important policy issue. Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation conducted a comprehensive review on weight management and developed a new policy framework in 2006. This paper describes the details of the review and policy development, including problem identification, criteria development, costs and haul benefit analysis. The new policy makes the process of designating primary highways rational, transparent, and consistent. The paper also discussed some related difficult policy and technical issues.