It’s a record: weather shutters Perimeter Highway once again

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This article was published 06/04/2022 (950 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Perimeter Highway was again closed due to poor weather conditions Thursday morning — the eighth time the vital Winnipeg ring road has been shuttered this winter.

It is a record number, a provincial spokesperson said.

CentrePort Canada Way was also closed Thursday because of poor winter driving conditions, the province said. The Trans-Canada Highway was closed from the city limits east to Richer for several hours.

Winter 2021-22 was blighted by frequent blizzards, blowing snow, freezing rain, and dramatic temperature swings which caused ice to form.

Stretches of the Trans-Canada Highway, particularly between Headingley and Portage la Prairie, and Brandon and the Saskatchewan boundary, closed multiple times due to conditions that put drivers and emergency services personnel in danger.

Fifty-four Manitoba routes — provincial trunk highways and provincial roads — have been shut down due to winter weather for the 2021-22 winter season, the provincial spokesperson said.

That’s a jump from 22 in 2020-21, and 31 in 2019-20, Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure statistics showed at the time.

Asked whether there are any plans to change snow clearing and road-gritting after the banner year, the spokesperson said: “The province will continue to assess the best options to keep Manitobans safe on our highways and ensure that goods, services and people can continue to move safely across the province.”