4 Winnipeg streets among worst in Manitoba, but top 3 are rural
Record 712 roads nominated for ignominious title
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The small Manitoba communities of Faulkner, Brookdale and Anola have the worst of the worst when it comes to Manitoba's roads, according to online voters who participated in the CAA worst roads campaign.
The Canadian Automobile Association released its annual Top 10 worst roads list on Tuesday; six are rural and four are in Winnipeg.
"We've got Chevrier Boulevard, we've got Empress Street, which we know is slotted to get fixed next year, and we've got Pembina Highway, which is such a long stretch of road and while we have seen a lot of improvements on it, we know that there are some sections that are still in a really, really dire state," said CAA Manitoba spokesperson Liz Kulyk.
Fermor Avenue also made a big leap.
"Fermor's always been in the top 20 but it hasn't been in the top 10 before, so this is a new one," Kulyk said. "It's another really long stretch that just gets in really bad shape if it doesn't have the right maintenance and upkeep."
But Highway 239 in Faulkner, just east of Steep Rock, gets the crown this year.
Highway 353 in Brookdale, northeast of Brandon, is second, and Dugald Road in Anola is third.
The sixth annual online voting campaign was launched in March. Just over 8,400 votes were cast for 712 roads around the province — the most roads nominated in any year.
"Worst roads has achieved another personal best, or should I say worst?" said CAA Manitoba president Mike Mager.
"Manitobans voted on an historic number of roads. Clearly, many of us believe the routes on our commute are the roughest roads around and deserve to be recognized as an area of concern."
The purpose of the contest is to draw attention to the province's most derelict and unsafe roads, CAA Manitoba officials said. The results will be shared with Mayor Brian Bowman in Winnipeg, as well as provincial Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen.
Main Street S. in Carman took the title in 2016, while Highway 280 in Gillam had the honour in 2015.
St. James Street in Winnipeg was ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the first four years of the annual campaign, falling to 10th last year.
This time around, CAA added a voting category for the most improved road.
St. James was the winner for Winnipeg while the Trans-Canada Highway earned recognition for the repairs it has undergone in recent years, specifically between Winnipeg and the Saskatchewan border, CAA said.
Top 10 worst roads in Winnipeg / Manitoba
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