Northern jurisdictions implement spring load restrictions (SLRs) on low volume roads to minimize damage during spring thaw. For this study, SLRs are applied when the thawing front depth reaches 300 mm. Spring load restrictions should be removed when the pavement structure is completely thawed and the stiffness is sufficiently restored. Thawing and freezing index and thermal numerical modelling-based SLR methods are compared. The methods were first calibrated using air temperatures and measured freezing and thawing depths from two instrumented pavement sections in northern Ontario.The calibrated methods were then tested by predicting SLR application and complete thawing for the two sites for spring 2010. Comparisons with measurements show that both methods are able to predict SLR application within several days for both sites, but were off in excess of one month for complete pavement thawing. This study indicates that a calibrated thawingindex based method is most conducive for regional scale application of SLRs.