Windham and Raymond announce road postings to avoid frost heave damage

By Ed Pierce

A total of 115 roads within the Town of Windham and 49 more in Raymond have been posted for frost heaves this season by the Windham and Raymond Public Works Departments.

The Town of Windham and the Town of
Raymond have each posted dozens of
local roads in an effort to avoid frost heave
damage. The restrictions are for trucks
weighing more than 23,000 pounds and 
will remain in effect until May.
COURTESY PHOTO 

The road restriction in Windham is for trucks weighing more than 23,000 pounds and is effective from March 3 until May 15, 2025. Trucks exceeding the 23,000-pound weight limit and not exempted by town ordinance must be cleared to travel over a posted road if conditions continue to warrant such actions.

Frost heave damage to roadways is caused by an upward movement of pavement resulting from the expansion of trapped water beneath the roadway surface. Considerable frost heaves can produce permanent damage to roads and crack pavement surfaces with differing levels of severity.

Pavement distress attributed to frost heaves can impact road surface quality and are unpredictable and costly for towns and municipalities to repair.

According to the Maine Department of Transportation, as spring temperatures warm and the ground thaws, the soil situated beneath roadway pavement becomes saturated with water, making it unstable and leaving many roads unable to support heavy loads and putting them at risk for damage.

Typically, a road that can easily handle a 15-ton weight truck in summer or winter months may only be able to handle a 5-ton load during spring thawing.

MDOT says a posted road’s maximum weight limit is 23,000 pounds and it’s a temporary measure that’s designed to protect roads in vulnerable conditions.

The costs pf repairing or rebuilding a road damaged by frost heaves can be substantial, running as much as into the tens of thousands of dollars per mile in some cases.

When the ground begins to thaw and materials beneath roadway surfaces are saturated with moisture, then travel over these roads by heavy vehicles exceeding 23,000 pounds also can cause cracking, potholes, and rutting to road surfaces.

Raymond Public Works Director Nathan White said the restrictions for roads in Raymond will start on March 11 and will run through May 1.

According to White, frost heave restrictions for major roadways in Raymond cannot be applied.

“Routes 85, 121, 302 and the Egypt Road will be exempt from this closure because they are State maintained roads,” White said.

Windham Public Works says that the posted roads in Windham may have restrictions lifted earlier than May 1 should weather conditions warrant.

The purpose of imposing weight restrictions on heavy trucks traveling on roads susceptible to first heaving reduces the possibility of cracked road and pavement surfacing that leads to the formation of potholes and weakened asphalt. <