A business owner near Rosengart wants the province to come up with a repair and maintenance plan for a local road he says has been neglected for years.
Jonathan Wiebe says PR 521, which is not paved, has become soft; in particular, a stretch of several hundred feet in such bad shape that he says vehicles are sinking and needing to be towed.
"It's been problematic for some years now, with major frost boils in Spring. It's mostly been an inconvenience in the past but this year, the road became as good as impassable," he explained. "We've had big tractor trailers stuck on the road. We've had a school bus call and ask for children to be brought to the highway."
Wiebe went on to say that while the recent rains didn't cause the problem, they definitely compounded it, noting the earlier rainfall made the road so wet he wasn't confident that emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, would have been able to get through.
"A lack of maintenance is definitely a problem."
With his semi-truck repair and recycling business accessed by PR 521, Wiebe says the road's poor condition makes it difficult to access the shop for employees and customers alike. With a major expansion in the works, it just adds to the level of concern, he noted.
So, what kind of plan does he hope to see from Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI)?
"There's a small stretch near Highway 32 that needs to be dug out and replaced and the rest of the road would just need a good amount of gravel," said Wiebe.
He is also hoping for a consistent maintenance strategy.
"Snow removal is often way slower than the local municipality's snow removal. This is a provincial road and so, it's under a different jurisdiction [...] so, a lack of maintenance is definitely a problem."
As a business owner, Wiebe says getting the road fixed and properly maintained would be his customers and employees could safely get to the shop.
Wiebe noted, he's been in conversation with Borderland MLA Josh Guenter and raised his concerns with MTI.
In a statement provided to PembinaValleyOnline, the province said there are no current improvements or upgrades planned for Provincial Road (PR) 521 at this time.
"Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) staff monitor provincial roadways to address any issues that may present a hazard to road users. MTI recently completed maintenance and blading of this gravel road to address surface issues. Department maintenance staff will continue to monitor PR 521 and provide routine maintenance as required throughout the summer and winter months. Staff regularly evaluate road conditions and consult with local stakeholders to determine plans for future upgrades."