Manitoba’s winter road network is nearing completion for the 2021 season and is expected to be fully open in the next two weeks.
Since 1971 winter roads have been used to haul freight and fuel to remote and northern communities across the province.
“Our government recognizes that Manitoba’s winter road system is a lifeline for many northern residents,” said Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler. “We’ve committed to investing $9 million in providing 22 Manitoba communities access to supplies and essential goods. Once complete, those communities will have full passage to the network.”
The network consists of 2,381 kilometres of roadway carved out of the bush as it crosses lakes, muskeg, streams, and rivers. It is constructed on the natural terrain each year and is usually open between Mid January and Mid March depending on the weather.
The province says that the roads serve about 30,000 Manitobans in 22 communities. During the two months each year that the network is open more than 2,500 shipments of goods travel the ice roads.
It takes about 250 employees to construct and maintain the winter roads each year.
© News4.ca 2021
