Manitoba rolls out its winter roads
February 4, 2009
By
Canadian Consulting Engineer
On February 2, Manitoba announced that its 2,200-kilometres of winter roads were open to commercial trucks and othe...
On February 2, Manitoba announced that its 2,200-kilometres of winter roads were open to commercial trucks and other vehicles. The road system opened a year ahead of last year.
The winter roads travel over ice and snow terrain to areas that would be otherwise inaccessible by conventional roads. The winter roads are needed to bring about 2,500 shipments of food and fuel to northern communities.
Ron Lemieux, the Government of Manitoba Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation, said: “Colder temperatures allowed construction crews to make good progress and the weather has resulted in ice thick enough to support the large trucks. However, some routes have weight restrictions for the time being.”
The Manitoba government has doubled its spending on winter roads since 1999. For 2008-09 it is spending $4.5 million, employing First Nation joint venture companies to maintain the roads and bridge structures.
