Manitoba Highways
 

I was just home in SW MB and have some observations regarding the provinces highways in that region.

To call some of them cow paths would be a discredit to cow paths. 5, 18, 23 are in terrible shape. Patch upon patch upon patch upon crumbling pavement is the norm and when there is a new patch it seems to take less than 2 or 3 days before that patch is crumbling again. These roads have been neglected for so long that only a major rebuild of the base will make them serviceable. I also went into ND a couple of times and their roads leading to and from the border are in great shape. Why is that? What could MB Highways dept learn from them?

Finally why are there still stop lights on the TCH in Manitoba? Could they not do one every 10 years or so and get it all done by 2100?
I guess I shouldn't bitch too much, Alberta still has one east of Calgary and a couple in Medicine Hat, SK should be light free by 2019 and BC still have a bunch in Kamloops and Golden.

It's simply that they haven't gotten to them yet. The hole that Manitoba started with in 2006 was enormous. If you compare highways 1, 2, 3, 5 (north of 3 and east of 83), 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20 (south of Winnipegosis), 59, 75, 100, and 101 to what they were only a decade ago, the improvement in surface quality and safety in terms of pavement width is marked. Some like 18 and 23 (though it's certainly good from 75 - Swan Lake) were lower priorities, but hopefully will get work within the next few years. I would add 34 north of 23 to that list (the only part I've been on - can't speak to the part south of 23) - it's terrible.

There are very analogous situations in Saskatchewan (15 and 35 come to mind). I'd say the highways in the province are basically in identical shape. That is to say, they were generally poor, but are getting far better, even if it takes time.


I would consider that to be a lower priority than other things that need to be done, even if I'd like to see them gone.

Highway 10 closer to Winnipeg has had notable improvements in the last 5 years. The passing sections are much appreciated, but the highway has some wild turns in the last 20 miles or so to the Perimeter.

Highway 10 from The Pas to Flin Flon has had huge improvements especially closer to FF. There was a huge realignment project last year that was still ongoing as of September, and new railings and shoulders on the causeways (they're still im decrepit condition though). Highways 283 west of and number 10 north & south of The Pas were resurfaced in 2011 I believe. They were great for a couple years but went to shit fast and there is now more work being done on 10 on both sides of town (from what I've heard, haven't been there since April).

Highway 60 is and has been terrible for as long as I can remember. Not only is it punishingly boring in its design (several potential vistas and pullover spots are obscured by trees) but the surface is awful and quite often dangerous. Plenty of blind corners too.

Highway 6 has been improved a fair amount in the last few years, specifically from Winnipeg to Ashern.

A few passing lanes added, some curves taken out. Better than it used to be for sure.

I've never driven that route but I took a look at it on the map and you would think it would offer some nice views the way it hugs the shore of Lake Winnipegosis. But when you look at Google Street View, all you see is tall trees on either side of the road pretty much everywhere!

My dad took credit for Highway 60. That is, there was a dirt road, but when my dad was working in Northern Affairs back in the late 60's / early 70's he managed to get it upgraded and get bus service running on it.

Getting to The Pas from Winnipeg by car must have taken an awful lot longer before PTH 60 existed.

Only about an hour longer. In the early '70s we often visited my grandparents in the Interlake region. We'd go south through Swan River and Dauphin and cross at The Narrows.

(I'm suddenly wondering whether tax dollars were spent specifically to shorten the drive to my grandparents' place.)

^ Go figure. Looking at a map I would have figured at least two more hours.

Someone in this province should do a driving video for PTH 60 for YouTube.

There is none.

10 goes from Flin Flon to the Peace Gardens via Brandon. Nowhere close to Winnipeg.

From his description - I'm pretty sure he meant 6 (though the description also fits 10 near Brandon).

The only part of 18 that is in good shape is where it is duplexes with 3. The portion from Lena to the border is full of patched up potholes and frost heaves. Truck traffic from pig barns and farmers hauling grain further deteriorates what little asphalt is left.

Up in the Interlake, my grandfather used to make several trips to deliver grain to the grain elevator, in his tiny-by-today's-standards farm truck. He'd also use it to transport cattle and pigs.

Of the four rail lines running up through the Interlake, three are gone. The fourth is much shortened and under private ownership. Other lines that served grain elevators around the province have been torn up.

So now farmers need a tractor-trailer to make longer hauls with less trips. All those heavier vehicles will take their toll on the roads.

Funny enough, I actually have dashcam footage from September 2015, when I went up to Flin Flon for a day to do a service call.

I had this footage stored on my hard drive since, and thanks to your comments, I created this video to show what was going on at the time.

• Video Link

I'm sure it's finished by now, and I haven't been up there since. I'd love to go back though.

Paging McPish!! McPish! Please come in!! :D:cool:

But not if its dangerous to drive. I don't want someone hurt because I was curious about some northern hwy.

Not really that important. I don't spend my days thinking about the rotten condition of Hwy. 60. I spend my days thinking about how to improve Transit service, like the 60 Pembina.

I think we are going to really regret ripping out all those rail lines. The roads and highways are just not able to handle the pounding they are taking these days.

It's just not financially feasible to run grain elevators like they did 100 years ago, unfortunately. The elevator at Meadows, Mb (my families roots for the last almost century) was just torn down about a month ago. Sad days...

I agree, the old wooden elevators were built when wheat was running at 15 bu/acre and trucks could only carry about 300 bushels.

Now wheat is running over 70 bu/acre and pretty much every farmer has a B train sitting in the yard so the little elevators cannot even unload the trucks of today.

was just in Brandon. noticed that a service road along the TCH between 1st and 18th has been built BEHIND (to the north) of all of the existing businesses with access created for each establishment from there. thought this was interesting until it was confirmed by one of these said business owners that this is to be the main access service road once the interchanges are done for highway 1 at 1st and 18th streets. the business owner also said this project is only a couple years away??! good to see Brandon finally get appropriate infrastructure.