Manitoba Infrastructure advises the approximately 2,200-kilometre winter road system is now open, allowing large trucks and other vehicles to get needed supplies to remote communities.
Each year, more than 2,000 shipments of goods are trucked to a large number of isolated northern communities on a winter road system that also provides road access for area residents. The overall budget to open and maintain the winter roads for the season is approximately $10 million, shared between the provincial and federal governments.
The work to prepare the winter roads was performed by more than 20 companies and created jobs for more than 150 employees. Construction and maintenance work is contracted out, primarily to local communities or First Nation joint-venture companies, which creates local employment and training opportunities.
The typical winter road season lasts seven to 10 weeks, ending in March. A temporary rise in temperatures may require some roads to be temporarily closed to protect the road surface. Opening of the system is dependent on the weather and the system must be closed when the ice begins to melt. The winter road system serves approximately 30,000 Manitobans in 22 communities in areas where there are no permanent roads.
