In one embodiment, a method comprises detecting a traffic condition by a network device in a loop-free routing topology comprising routing arcs for reaching a destination device, each routing arc comprising a first edge, a second edge, and at least a third network device configured for routing any network traffic along the routing arc toward the destination device and exiting via any one of the first or second edges of the routing arc, the traffic condition proximate to the first edge of at least one of the routing arcs in which the network device is positioned; and the network device initiating load balancing based on sending a management frame over a data plane of the at least one routing arc toward the corresponding second edge, the management frame requesting a change in load balancing for at least one of an identified traffic class based on the detected traffic condition.