Width limitUruguay
Traffic rules
Uruguay
1. Width limit
A width limit prohibits vehicles or vehicle combinations whose total width exceeds the value shown from entering or passing a road section, bridge, tunnel, gateway or other narrow passage. The width includes the vehicle’s load and any equipment or objects extending from its sides.
Drivers must know the maximum travelling width of their vehicle and load, observe advance warnings and use an alternative route when necessary. They should never enter when sufficient lateral clearance is uncertain.
What does a posted vehicle-width restriction mean in Uruguay?
A width restriction limits entry to a passage that cannot legally accommodate vehicles above the indicated width. Look for the local sign near older bridges and rural routes and read any advance warning or exception plate. Measurements are generally given in metres.
Vehicles wider than indicated prohibited.
English • Traffic sign R-16 • Maximum width: 1.8 m. Vehicles wider than 1.8 m overall must not pass.
Español • R-16 • Ancho máximo: 1,8 m. Prohíbe el paso de vehículos cuyo ancho total supere 1,8 metros.
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Gub.uy • MTOP, Norma Uruguaya de Señalización Vertical, PDF p. 88
🔗 Gub.uy • MTOP, significado, PDF p. 25
Image via Commons.wikimedia.org
Intendencia de Durazno • Public domain • Source revision 2025-07-14. Wikimedia original unmodified.
How should you check the width of a loaded vehicle in Uruguay?
Check the vehicle and any projecting load or equipment. The legal measurement may exclude particular fittings such as mirrors, depending on local rules, but those fittings still need physical space to pass safely. Never assume the statutory measurement guarantees sufficient real-world clearance.
Can a driver ignore a width restriction if the road looks wide enough in Uruguay?
No. A regulatory width limit must be obeyed unless an applicable exemption or authorised arrangement permits entry. Check your route before driving a wide van, trailer or load through a narrow town, bridge or roadworks section.
