All winter roads are scheduled to be open this week with the exception of the one to Tadoule Lake, the provincial government said Feb. 17.
“Due to warmer temperatures in December and January, construction fell behind the seasonal schedule,” said Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler in a press release. “However, we will not compromise the safety of the road system or of the people constructing it. After many efforts, we are pleased to announce the system will be completed this week and communities will have full passage to the network.”
The winter road network, which covers 2,381 kilometres, connects 30,000 Manitobans in 22 communities to the rest of the province and sees more than 2,500 shipments of goods, including construction materials, fuel and heavy equipment, while it is operational, which can be as long as two months depending upon weather conditions. The winter road season usually lasts until about mid-March.
“Our government also wants to thank all the hard-working men and women in the trucking industry,” noted Schuler. “They are essential workers, delivering essential goods to our communities in Manitoba and across North America under tremendously challenging conditions. Last season, over 118 transport companies obtained permits for winter road freight hauling and were successful in providing our northern communities with essential items.”
Winter road users are advised to follow current COVID-19 public health orders and to contact individual communities about potential entry requirements prior to travelling.
