Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

Project development

Engineering process | Planning

Oversize/Overweight Permits

Purpose

The purpose of Oversize/Overweight (OSOW) Permits—a unit of MnDOT’s Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations—is to improve the safety and performance of Minnesota’s freight and passenger transportation system. OSOW Permits is responsible for the statewide issuance of special transportation permits to allow vehicles to exceed the normal size or weight limits required by state and federal law. OSOW Permits may issue, withhold, or issue the permit with conditions, as necessary to prevent damage to road foundations, surfaces and structures. OSOW Permits has expertise that can inform design and outreach for projects impacting a highway’s ability to serve OSOW loads.

When to use this subject

Following are examples of project types that may impact a facility’s ability to serve OSOW needs:

  • Bridge rehab and replacement, when vertical clearance is impacted
  • Roundabouts
  • Complete Streets projects
  • J-turn/reduced conflict/restricted crossing U-turn intersections
  • Shoulder improvements
  • Truck parking improvements
  • Construction lane widths, crossovers, and detour routes

Design
OSOW Permits can provide guidance and supporting data to help achieve win-win designs for projects involving these work types, regardless of whether the project is on or off the network of superload corridors. Please contact us for assistance and feedback.

Outreach
It’s important for project managers to consider the various OSOW partners and stakeholders affected by design changes that can negatively alter OSOW vehicle flow, thus increasing safety risk on secondary state highways due to additional miles of travel, turning maneuvers, and infrastructure adjustments. OSOW Permits can provide historic permit data to help understand OSOW freight movement in the project area and in turn help inform design decisions to accommodate the OSOW needs in a geographical region.

Project Managers seeking to engage with specialized trucking industry stakeholders should begin by consulting with OSOW Permits. Outreach efforts can easily miss key stakeholders who may not be within the specific geographical project area. OSOW Permits staff have the specialized knowledge and data to help determine key stakeholders in the specialized trucking industry. Again, please contact us for assistance and feedback.

How this subject fits into the overall project development process

Consultation with OSOW Permits can inform the planning, scoping, preliminary design, and final design stages of the project types listed above.

Organizations involved