Agriculture
Road restrictions hamper farmers this spring
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By NICK STANEK
Capital News Service
LANSING — The farming industry feels the lingering effects of the polar vortex in some parts of the state as cold temperatures continue into spring. County governments implement seasonal weight restrictions on roads every year to reduce the impact heavy trucks can have on roads. “By law, road agencies can enact weight restrictions on roads that are not designated as all-season routes when conditions merit,” County Road Association of Michigan says on its website. Although an annual nuisance for drivers, restrictions on weight, speed and axle-loading are tighter this year and slowing down the farming down in some parts of the state. Frost froze deep into the roads and made them more susceptible to potholes, said Clay Martz, manager of Crop Production Service in Lake Odessa, a company that ships fertilizer to corn growers.