The 14th annual CAA Manitoba Worst Roads Campaign is now underway, and we are again being asked to nominate a road anywhere in the province we want fixed.
“Our research shows that 96 per cent of Manitobans are concerned about the state of our roads,” says Ewald Friesen, manager government relations at CAA Manitoba, “the CAA Worst Roads campaign gives Manitobans a voice in highlighting the roads they believe are in need of repair which provides a valuable snapshot to decision-makers.”
That pothole infested stretch of road you take to work every day is a prime target to nominate. Friesen said that survey also found more than half of respondents have experienced vehicle damage because of poor roads.
Bad roads an affordability issue
"This is concerning for a number of reasons, probably one of the biggest is the issue of affordability," he said pointing to how many families, for a number of reasons, are now holding onto vehicles longer than previously. "How this ties in with roads is when we encounter vehicle damage as a result of a bad road, and we're already trying to stretch that family budget, it hurts. According to our survey, folks are spending anywhere between $500 to upwards of $2000 to repair their car, and many of us are not making claims to MPI, so we're paying out of pocket."
According to the survey, poor road conditions, especially potholes and sunken sewer grates, are causing significant vehicle damage and increasing out-of-pocket repair costs for drivers. The average cost, based on the survey results, is $882 when a vehicle has been damaged by a bad road.
"Some of the things most folks report are flat tires, damaged rims, suspension issues and rod ends," explained Friesen. "There's a whole bunch of things that can happen as a result of bad road, so funding for road maintenance and road infrastructure is actually an affordability issue. The state of our roads is really costing us in a very literal way."
Particular push for rural Manitobans to nominate a road
Friesen noted they are encouraging rural Manitobans, in particular, to get involved, adding the number one Worst Road in 2023 and 24 were outside Winnipeg. Last year's winner was 18th Street in Brandon, where a swift, coordinated response between the municipality and the province happened after that was announced.
"If you live in a rural part of this province, you depend upon our roads, there's just no other way to put it," he said. "Exponentially, if something happens to that road, how do you get anywhere? So we really would like to encourage your listeners, especially in rural parts of the province, to find that road that's always been an issue for you and pop it on our nomination list."
Nominate a road and be entered to win free gas for a year
Nominations for the Worst Roads campaign can be submitted online at www.caaworstroads.com until April 11th. Once the nominations are collected, CAA Manitoba will compile a list of the top 10 worst roads in the province, which will be announced at a later date. Everyone who nominates a road will be entered to win free gas for a year from Shell.
CAA conducted the online survey referenced in this story with 1,014 CAA Manitoba Members between January 6 to 14, 2025. Based on the sample size and the confidence level (95 per cent), the margin of error for this study was +/-3 per cent.